The Music of Angels and Demons
by jylener22
Summary: A young, inexperienced opera soprano with a sweet temperament and even sweeter voice. A brilliant composer who wishes to expose her talent for the world to hear and enjoy. A young count whose path crossed with the young singer's years ago and now their paths merge once again. Music will connect them all. Inspired by 'Phantom of the Opera' book, 1943 movie and a bit from the musical
1. Angel: Beginnings

The Music of Angels and Demons

Ah, this was literally music to his ears. The paltry solo his muse had been given was now, at long last, being rehearsed. The melancholy melody floating up from the orchestra pit and swirling together with her angelic voice made his spirit soar more than any other part of Mozart's comedic opera so far. And it was all because she was singing.

So far, no one else had figured out just how much potential this young and untried soprano held within her because she was so shy and content to stay hidden within the shadows of the chorus and only occasionally taking the spotlight. He was different. From the moment he had heard her voice and seen her face, he had known. She had the voice that would take the melodies he had written out and give them an unearthly or heavenly quality.

All he had to do now was wait for the right time to approach her and help her to realize her full potential. With his help, she would shine brighter than the spotlight used to illuminate her figure on that stage. It was only a matter of time.

* * *

"Miss Orihime! Would you please put some more despair into your tone?! Your character is dejected for having lost that pin! The more sorrow in your voice, the more the audience will enjoy the absolute absurdity of the situation!"

Cheeks flushing in embarrassment at the chastisement, Orihime ducked her head apologetically and stammered, "I'm very sorry, Maestro Otoribashi! It won't happen again!"

Despite his harsh tone, Rose Otoribashi, the world renowned pianist and now conductor of the Royal Opera House, was not that upset at the young Orihime Inoue's performance. For a girl of her age, she was quite talented and taking into consideration how she came from a family of well-known musicians it really wasn't that surprising that she would find her way into the music industry.

Unlike most girls at the opera house, Orihime Inoue was not one who deliberately tried to 'steal the limelight' from others. She never tried to force her singing, acting or dancing abilities. Everything she did was completely natural, which was good in its own way since her performance was never fake. However, when it came time for her to have a solo such as this one, Orihime's naturally shy personality would hold her back.

On the other hand, Rose could see the determined light enter the young woman's eyes as she asked politely, "May I try it once more from the beginning, please?"

It was difficult to keep himself from smiling indulgently as Rose turned to the orchestra in front of him and said in a business-like tone, "From the top then," and then waited a few seconds for the orchestra to get ready before he gave the downbeat.

They had not gotten thirty measures into the short aria before Rose heard a commotion from backstage. Quickly signaling the orchestra and Orihime to stop, Rose turned his gaze to see a group of people making their way onstage. It was a few seconds before Rose trusted himself to speak because if there was one thing the singers, orchestra members, backstage crew and everyone else on the opera house staff knew it was that you never, ever interrupted a rehearsal for any reason whatsoever. However, as Rose's gaze swept the group making their way onto the stage and decided that it might not be a good idea to start lecturing his bosses and a wealthy looking man with another equally well-dressed young man who was probably his son about proper conduct during a rehearsal.

Instead, Rose settled for saying in a polite but slightly frosty tone, "Welcome gentlemen. As you can see we are rehearsing at the moment."

Shunsui Kyoraku, one of the Royal Opera House founders and managers, let out a booming laugh and said jovially, "I apologize, Maestro, for this untimely interruption, but the news we have to convey is of the highest importance."

Throwing an arm around the shoulders of the older gentleman, Shunsui said officially, "Attention everyone! May I have your attention, please! My partner, Jyuushiro Ukitake, and I are immensely pleased to have made the acquaintance of the Count Isshin Kurosaki about a week ago at the Royal Opera House Gala where we celebrated the beginning of a new opera season. Today, the Count Kurosaki came in to our office today to tell us that he would be honored to become our newest patron."

Stepping forward, Jyuushiro Ukitake said in a quieter, but no less enthusiastic tone, "As a result of this generous contribution, we will now be able to add the opera Otello by Giuseppe Verdi onto this season's program."

For a moment, there was a hush over the gathering of people before a loud cheer went up from cast and crew alike. As for Rose, while he didn't outwardly show much emotion, inside his heart felt like it was flying in ecstasy. Long had he desired to conduct a Verdi opera and now here was his chance.

When the clamor died down, Rose inclined his head politely and said, "On behalf of the Royal Opera House, I would like to extend our most heartfelt thanks for your generosity, Count Kurosaki, sir."

Isshin Kurosaki let out a hearty laugh and said kindly, "Ah, but it was my pleasure, Maestro Otoribashi! My wife was a great lover of all the art forms, God rest her soul, and it seems my son and daughters have begun to show the same inclinations as my dear Masaki. Being a music lover myself, this contribution to the opera house is a pleasure to give."

Turning to the young man on his right, Isshin threw an arm around the young man's shoulders and said, "Now, if only my son would find a nice young woman to escort to the opera house, I should want for nothing!"

As the young man's face burned and he lurched away from his father's arm, Shunsui laughed heartily along with Isshin for a moment before he said to the group at large, "Now, we will leave so that you may continue rehearsing," and then he and Jyuushiro led the Kurosaki's off stage.

The moment they had left the stage, Rose picked up his baton and said briskly, "All right everyone. From the beginning of the aria, if you please. Miss Orihime, are you ready? Miss Orihime? Miss Orihime?"

The young woman on stage suddenly jumped and wrenched her gaze away from where the group of men had left and to the conductor and stammered, "What? Oh yes! I'm ready!"

Fifteen minutes later, Orihime was finally told that she was free to go. As she left, Maestro Rose gave her a few more pointers and things he wanted her to fix before the next rehearsal and she promised that she would work hard on those parts of her aria.

The moment Orihime stepped foot backstage, her long-time friend and fellow chorus member, Rukia Kuchiki, ran up to her, clasped her hand and all but dragged Orihime to a secluded corner. People were milling about everywhere, working on costumes, painting sets and carrying props, but while the two girls could be seen quite easily and overheard, no one paid them any attention.

Before Orihime had a chance to open her mouth, Rukia leaned forward and demanded, "All right. Start talking."

Orihime opened and closed her mouth in confusion a few times before she managed to ask, "What are you talking about?"

Rukia rolled her eyes and said in an exasperated tone, "Don't give me that. I saw the way you were looking at the Kurosaki boy. From the moment he stepped onstage, you only had eyes for him. I could see from your expression that you knew him from somewhere, so start talking."

As Rukia had been talking, a blush had overtaken Orihime's whole face and she stammered, "Did I really stare at him? And it was that obvious? Oh, what if he noticed! What will he think of me?"

Waving her hand in front of Orihime's face, Rukia stated, "It's too late to worry about that now. What's done is done. Now, tell me how you know him."

"How she knows who?"

Both girls jumped in surprise and whirled around to see their three friends who worked backstage: Renji, Uryu and Chad. Renji and Chad both worked with sets and props, while Uryu helped out with costumes.

Glaring at Renji, Rukia said, "Don't sneak up on us like that! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Crossing his arms and trying to suppress a grin, Renji retorted, "You just need to pay better attention to your surroundings. Anyone could have sneaked up on you."

Cutting Rukia off before she could start bickering with Renji, Uryu said smoothly, "That aside, I am also curious to hear just how our young friend seems to know our new patron's son. Just what social circles were you a part of before you came to be with us, Miss Orihime?"

Shaking her head vigorously, Orihime said, "Back then, I didn't even know he was from a wealthy and influential family. We met when I was eleven and Sora was a part of the Royal Orchestra and they were doing an international tour. One day, I was playing outside in the streets while the orchestra rehearsed and a strange man approached me."

Looking down at her hands, Orihime said quietly, "I was so young then and the man seemed very kind, so when he offered to walk me across the street to see a beautiful new toy in a shop window I decided to go along with him."

A small smile brightened up her face as she went on, "However, before I could reach out and take the man's hand, a hand a little bigger than my own reached out and clasped mine. I turned to see a boy about my age, with bright orange hair, brown eyes and the fiercest scowl I had ever seen. He looked at me reproachfully for a moment before he scowled at the tall man and said firmly that our carriage was leaving and that we needed to go. Then without waiting for the man to respond, the boy started dragging me away from the man. Once we could no longer be seen by the man, the boy turned around to make sure he hadn't followed us and then frowned at me.

"'What were you thinking?' he demanded.

"I stared at him for a moment before I whispered, 'He was just going to show me a toy in the window.'

"The boy scoffed and said fiercely, 'He could have snatched you up and made off with you if I hadn't come along.'

"It suddenly occurred to me what this boy was trying to imply and I said in surprise, 'You mean he wasn't a nice man?'

"'Of course not,' said the boy, 'Didn't your mom and dad tell you to keep away from strangers?'

"I shook my head and said, 'I don't have any parents,' and the boy looked stunned for a moment before I continued, 'But my older brother said that if any strange people try to talk to me that I should politely excuse myself from them and find him right away.'

"'Where's your older brother then?' asked the boy, 'Older brothers are supposed to look after their younger siblings.'

"'He's busy practicing with the orchestra right now,' I said, 'He doesn't mind if I sit in on the rehearsals, but the weather was so nice today that I decided to play outside.'

"The boy looked thoughtful for a moment before he said, 'So your brother plays in the orchestra. How long are they going to be in this city?'

"'I think for the whole month.'

"The boy then looked at me seriously, took my hand, made a bow and said formally, 'My name is Ichigo Kurosaki. For the next month, I'll keep you company and make sure you're safe while your brother is in rehearsals.'"

At this point in Orihime's story, she paused which gave Rukia a chance to ask, "So what happened?"

Orihime smiled at her friend and said, "For the next month, he was as good as his word. Every day Sora rehearsed, Ichigo was there to keep me company. He told me that his family lived just down the street from the opera house. A few times, he even brought his younger sisters, Karin and Yuzu, with their companion, Misato Ochi."

Once again, Orihime paused and this time Renji asked, "What happened after the month was up?"

Taking a deep breath, Orihime said, "Well, the orchestra moved on to the next city, so Sora and I went with them. The day before we left, Ichigo and I said good-bye to one another. He made me promise that I would never go off with strangers no matter what. And I made him promise that he would practice smiling at least once a month. That's the last I saw of him until today, but barely a day goes by that I don't think of Ichigo and Sora."

When she was finished, no one said anything for a time and then Uryu said, "An interesting story. I don't think our patron's son got a good look at you, otherwise he might have said something."

Renji quirked a skeptical brow at Uryu and said, "Or maybe he did recognize Orihime, but was too full of himself and his high status to-OW!"

Scowling up at Renji as he bent down to rub his shin, Rukia said fiercely, "Don't you dare say that! If that's the way he thinks, then he's no good for Orihime and she could do better!"

Holding up her hands, Orihime said hastily, "I only knew him for a short time, but I don't think Ichigo and his family thinks like that. He was a very good friend and very kind to me."

Chad spoke up in his low, slow voice, "And you love him."

Orihime's cheeks burned as she stuttered, "Well…I wouldn't put it quite like that…"

Taking her friend's hands, Rukia said with a big smile, "But just imagine if he did fall in love with you. It would almost be like a Cinderella story!"

Orihime's eyes became slightly unfocused as she said, "Yes. Imagine that…"

* * *

After the rehearsal, Sosuke Aizen carefully packed away his cello and music and made his way backstage. In the corner, he saw Orihime Inoue surrounded by her friends and talking animatedly with them.

"And just what are you staring at, Aizen?" came a cheerful voice from behind him.

Aizen didn't have to turn around to know that the voice was coming from the principal clarinet player and old acquaintance of his, Gin Ichimaru. He also didn't have to turn around to know that Gin was grinning.

Coming around to stand next to Aizen, Gin asked, "Or maybe it would be more accurate to ask whom you are so interested in?"

Not bothering to reply, Aizen turned his head slightly at the sound of a particular set of footsteps and said, "Ah, there you are Kaname. I was just getting ready to leave."

Holding his hat in one hand and a cane in the other, the sightless eyes of Kaname looked past Aizen as he replied, "My apologies. The maestro detained me so that he could talk about how Neliel would like to have a little more rubato during her recitative section that we were just rehearsing."

Aizen did not reply and began making his way out of the opera house with his two companions in his wake. As he walked, Aizen looked over at Orihime one last time before he opened a back door and stepped out onto the street.

Very soon, his very first musical masterpiece would be completed. He just had to put the finishing touches on it. Then he would take it to the publishers and he would begin his career as a successful and brilliant composer. After all this, Aizen could then use his immense talents for both music and persuasion to help the young and promising Orihime Inoue become a star. With his music and her voice, they would be the musical highlight of the century.

Just a little longer and then his plan would come to fruition. Like the saying said, good things come to those who wait and if nothing else, Aizen was a man who didn't mind waiting in the least.

**Author's Note:**

Ok, I really shouldn't be starting a new story right now with three others that I'm working on and at least two others that I need to finish as prizes and things, but I just couldn't resist this story any longer. I had to get it started.

Anyway, as you have probably figured out by now, this story is based off of 'The Phantom of the Opera' and not necessarily the musical version. While there might be some things taken from there, probably most things that I bring into this story will come from my knowledge of the book (I actually need to read it...all I did was look up a synopsis to kind of get an idea for how it goes) and a film version of the Phantom that was filmed in 1943 with the absolutely supurb Claude Rains playing the title role. Actually, it was after I found the movie on YouTube that I really got the itch to write this story.

Next, I would like to say that I am writing this story for Sariniste. She is a wonderful writer and is always so kind and thoughtful with her critiques and praises of my stories, so she is the main reason why Aizen will take on the role of the Phantom and there will be elements of AizenxOrihime in the story. Now, most of us know how the story ends up, but I think the journey will be interesting anyways because I may have based this off of a book/movie/musical that most people know, but like with Transforming Love and Hearts of Glass, I like to put my own spin on things.

One thing you might want to notice is that at this point in time, Aizen isn't really creepy. Yes, he has plans for his future with Orihime and working with her, but if you read it again, he's actually trying to help her become famous, which is a good thing. He is not evil, so in that way he is somewhat out of character, but at this point, that's the way I want him. He also is not deformed (which is what I am taking from the movie), but that will change eventually.

Now, I have already introduced a number of characters and there are more on the way, but if you have any thoughts about characters you would like to see and maybe the roles they will play in the story, I'd be more than happy to read your ideas or suggestions. Also, I couldn't come up with any really good names for the opera house or orchestra that Sora was a part of, so any ideas on that score would be immensely appreciated.

If you have any questions about musical terms being used, just ask and I will let you know what they mean as best I can. As a musician and music teacher, I sometimes take for granted that people just know what I'm talking about when I use musical terms, so don't hesitate to ask if you don't know something.

Hope you guys liked the beginning of this new story!


	2. Angel: Memories and Plans

Music of Angels and Demons

The group of young people might have gone on chatting and theorizing about Orihime's rediscovered acquaintance for at least another hour or two if it had not been for the perfectly timed entrance of Byakuya Kuchiki, the leading baritone of the Royal Opera House.

As he walked up noiselessly behind the tall figure of Renji, Byakuya heard the young man say, "I still don't get what you're all getting so excited about. Sure the guy has status and a good chunk of change in his bank vault, but why are your hearts so set on matching up him with Orihime?"

A slight frown creasing his forehead at Renji's words, Byakuya asked coolly, "Who is playing matchmaker for Orihime?"

Collectively, the group whirled around and some of them squeaking in fright (Renji mostly, but he would go to his grave denying such a sound ever escaped his lips). When they realized just who had walked in on their conversation most expressions turned from startled fear to relief to embarrassment in the space of about two seconds. Out of everybody, Orihime's cheeks burned brightest, but Renji's flushed face was definitely a close second.

Stepping forward with a small, slightly quavering smile, Rukia said politely, "Ah, Brother! So you are finished rehearsing now?"

Quirking an eyebrow at his young sister-in-law, Byakuya answered, "Of course. I was coming to collect you and Orihime since Hisana was very tired and has already gone out to the carriage."

Turning to her friends, Orihime said hastily, "We'll see you on Monday then!" before she ran off to collect her things and calling over her shoulder, "I'm sorry Mr. Kuchiki! I'll be right back!"

Looking up at Byakuya, Rukia said quickly, "Please excuse our lack of decorum, Brother. I will also get my things and hurry out to the carriage," and then she dashed off after Orihime.

If Byakuya had not been inside the opera house and especially if he had not been surrounded by Rukia and Orihime's friends, a small, benign smile might have lightened his features. As it was, his face retained its neutral expression. However, Uryu and Chad were well aware of Byakuya's affection for the two young women and could tell that he didn't mind in the least. Renji on the other hand…well, the other two would explain everything to him later.

Making his own way towards the awaiting carriage, Byakuya's thoughts drifted back to when he had first met the three women who made up a large portion of his social circle.

He had met his wife, Hisana, about sixteen years ago when he was just starting to really develop his voice and reputation with the opera house. She had just been hired on as one of the assistants to the assistants of the costume designers and seamstresses. Since she had no family to speak of and she was trying to raise Rukia, who was about fourteen years Hisana's junior, Byakuya's courtship with Hisana had lasted about five months before he asked her to marry him. They had been happily married ever since.

After the first few years of marriage, Byakuya and Hisana came to the realization that they would not be able to have children of their own. On the one hand, it was rather painful, but then again, with an active and lively six year old to take care of, in another sense, it almost seemed as if Rukia were their own daughter.

Orihime came into their lives rather unexpectedly almost seven years ago. When the Royal Orchestra had come to hold a huge combined concert with the Royal Opera Theater, Sora Inoue had fallen gravely ill very suddenly. One thing lead to another and Sora was taken to the Kuchiki family mansion in order to be comfortable when he passed away. While the adults ran around trying to tend to the dying young man, Rukia and Orihime were shuffled off to the side and the two somehow managed to form a surprisingly strong bond in a short amount of time.

In his last moments of consciousness, Sora called Orihime to his side and Rukia went with her. To the amazement of everyone, Rukia told Sora not to worry about his little sister because she would be taken care of by the Kuchiki family from that day forward. Sora had looked at Byakuya with an expression that half wanted to believe what Rukia had said and the other half thinking such a thing was too good to be true.

On Byakuya's part, he turned his gaze from the young man on the bed to the two girls clutching each other's hands and then to his wife sitting on the opposite side of the bed putting a cool cloth on Sora's forehead.

Hisana and Byakuya had met each other's eyes and said together, "Yes," which allowed Sora Inoue to smile gratefully at them both, squeeze his sister's hand weakly one last time and then slip in to a peaceful sleep.

After the funeral, Byakuya and Hisana had decided to try and find Orihime's relatives in order to make absolutely sure that all proper steps were taken before they attempted to make their care of Orihime completely legal. They had hired a private investigator to find Orihime's closest living relatives and discover any information he could about the Inoue family in general, but especially her parents.

When the private investigator had returned, he brought news from a distant aunt of Orihime's saying that neither of her parents had been heard from in over nine years and were presumed dead. According to the investigator, Orihime's mother had been a professional pianist and frequently put on concerts with her husband, Orihime's father, who was a former leading tenor at the Society Opera House. For a time, they had traveled with their two children, but when Sora was seventeen, he had struck out on his own and taken Orihime with them. It was evident that the parents had not minded in the slightest as traveled further distances and performed more concerts than ever before. The last anyone had ever heard from them, the Inoue's had been traveling to the Orient and did not give any indication if and when they would ever return to Europe.

The private investigator had also relayed that the aunt herself had no desire to raise Orihime if the Kuchiki family were willing to take her. With this knowledge, Byakuya and Hisana had sat down with both Orihime and Rukia, told them what they knew, and then asked Orihime if she would accept the Kuchiki family as her legal guardians. A few heartbeats had passed before Orihime had jumped up from her seat on the couch and threw her arms around both Byakuya and Hisana.

While both Orihime and Rukia addressed him and Hisana formally in public, the atmosphere with the Kuchiki home was far from austere. It wasn't long before Hisana had begun commenting about just how good the two girls got along with one another and that she couldn't imagine not having one of them around. When Hisana began making those comments, Byakuya wouldn't respond, but mentally, he agreed with his wife. All three women made his inherited family house a home.

* * *

After supper, Rukia and Orihime excused themselves and went up to Orihime's room in order to chat about the day's events. Even though they both had their own room, it was very rare occasion when they would not rotate sharing either one or the other of their rooms.

As Orihime shut the door, Rukia bounced onto the bed and then lay down on her stomach and said in a mock irritated tone, "Now, Orihime, you've told me about how you met this Kurosaki boy, but I want to know why you didn't tell me about him years ago! You said earlier that you think of him almost every day, so why keep it a secret?"

Leaning against the doorframe, Orihime looked sheepishly at the floor and replied, "Well, I did think about telling you once or twice…but I always thought it would just sound like the wishful imaginings of a child."

Tracing the pattern of the carpet with her toe, Orihime said, "I only knew him for that one month, so I can't really call him a childhood friend. However, on the other hand, because Sora and I were always traveling with the orchestra, I didn't have time to make any friends my own age. So in that sense, Ichigo was my childhood friend."

Resting her chin in the palms of her hands, Rukia said smugly, "And he was also your first sweetheart."

Even though her cheeks burned brightly, Orihime did not deny Rukia's statement. Instead, after a few moments, Orihime walked over to the bed and threw herself onto the mattress face first and let out a long groan.

Sitting up, Rukia asked, "What's the matter?"

Turning onto her side, Orihime lamented, "What if Ichigo did recognize me? What if when he saw me he thought 'There's that girl I knew years ago. She was going to walk away with a strange man and I had to rescue her.'?"

Burying her face in the mattress again and covering her head, Orihime said in a muffled voice, "Ugh! That would be so embarrassing!"

Tapping Orihime lightly on the shoulder, Rukia said soothingly, "Or maybe he thought 'That's the cute girl I met all those years ago. She stole my heart with those warm, gray eyes, infectious laugh and sunny smile. I can't believe she's come back into my life after all these years.'."

Shaking her head furiously, Orihime kept her face in the covers as she said, "No, no, no, no! I don't know which one would be worse!"

Sitting up quickly and turning to face Rukia with a burning face, Orihime asked, "And just what makes you think that I could have possibly stolen his heart? We only knew each other a month and we were only eleven!"

Giving Orihime a pointed look, Rukia responded matter-of-factly, "True. However, it seems as though you managed to lose your heart to him despite all that."

Orihime looked ready to protest, but only managed to open and close her mouth a few times, trying to find the right words, at which time Rukia asked, "So why do you think it's so impossible for him to love you back?"

She remained in deep contemplation for a few moments before replying, "Because I don't know whether to be hopeful, realistic or frightened. I don't think that's how being in love is supposed to feel."

Adjusting her position slightly, Rukia said, "Like you said earlier, this is all just speculation. We shouldn't put the cart before the horse."

Rukia waited until Orihime was looking at her before she finished, "But that doesn't mean that you are not allowed to hope and dream about the possibilities."

Returning Rukia's smile, Orihime patted her hand before asking mischievously, "So, are there any young men you're attracted to, Rukia? Maybe someone with lovely…red…hair?"

* * *

"So how was your afternoon, Daddy?"

Count Isshin Kurosaki grinned over at his daughter, Yuzu, and said in a hearty tone, "All in all, very productive. Ichigo and I began the morning by going to the docks and checking on a couple of ships I have invested some money in before we headed over to the theater to pledge our support there."

Yuzu's eyes sparkled as she asked excitedly, "And did you buy the tickets?"

Isshin's eyes glinted playfully and he began talking in a mock confused tone asking, "Tickets? What tickets? I didn't know I was supposed to buy any tickets. Must have completely slipped my mind."

Across from her twin, Karin interjected, "Yuzu don't play along with Father's games."

Sticking out his lower lip, Isshin whined, "My little girl is growing colder towards her poor, darling father each day!"

Ignoring Isshin, Karin asked her brother, "Where are our seats going to be?"

Wiping his lips and taking a quick sip of water to clear his throat, Ichigo replied, "We'll be in the box seats only slightly to the right of the stage."

Isshin's pout worsened as he grumbled at his son, "No fair Ichigo! I was going to keep them in suspense for a few minutes at least! Why are my two oldest turning out to be such meanies!"

For her part, Yuzu looked thrilled and said, "Oh! Those are some of the best seats! We'll be able to see everything!"

Karin grinned at her sister briefly before asking, "So I'm guessing you got to see a bit of their rehearsal or at least them preparing the scenery. What was it like?"

Leaning back in his chair slightly, Ichigo replied, "The managers walked us right out into the middle of the stage, right in the middle of rehearsal. The girl playing Barbarina was practicing her aria from the fourth act when we barged in."

Giving Karin a small grin, Ichigo went on, "At first, I don't think the maestro was too pleased to see us."

Returning Ichigo's grin for an instant, Karin cut her meat as she replied in a deeply serious tone, "I should think not. I've heard that some maestro's consider it a capital offense to interrupt a rehearsal and might just try and black list the perpetrator so that they would never be welcome in a concert hall again."

Shaking his head ruefully, Ichigo added, "Then I suppose it's a very good thing that the managers made sure to say that because of our contribution, they would be able to add Otello to their program for the season."

Nodding sagely, Karin said, "I'm sure that pacified the maestro nicely."

"I believe so."

Deciding to change the subject, Isshin cleared his throat and said, "Well, I for one think that this production of Le Nozze di Figaro will be positively fantastic from what we were able to see today."

Looking at Isshin curiously, Karin asked, "What do you mean? You only heard a little of Barbarina's aria, so how can you tell the opera will be good?"

Waggling his eyebrows knowingly, Isshin responded, "Because her voice was lovely, but not nearly as lovely as her face and especially not as lovely as-"

Cutting across his father, Ichigo said angrily, "Don't be so crass!"

Isshin asked incredulously, "Don't tell me you didn't even notice just how beautiful that young woman was! She was right in front of you!"

Rolling his eyes, Ichigo replied, "Of course I noticed her. I'm just not going to talk about her in such a distasteful way, especially in front of Karin and Yuzu."

Before Isshin could say anything, Yuzu asked, "So, did Barbarina have a pretty face and voice, Ichigo?"

Clearing his throat, Ichigo answered hastily, "Well…yes…I suppose so."

What he would never tell his family under any circumstances was that the young lady had made him think of someone he knew, but that he just couldn't place at the moment. Later that night when he went to bed, Ichigo would still be wracking his brain trying to remember who she was supposed to be.

* * *

Aizen leaned back in his chair and observed his handiwork. He's been working for three and a half hours trying to find the best way to harmonize the contrasting melody of the aria he was writing. Finally, he had come up with something that was tonal and dissonant in all the right places in order to bring out the emotion and character of the song.

Carefully putting away his writing utensils and sheets of music, Aizen blew out his one candle and made his way in the semi-darkness over to the table in order to finish off the loaf of bread he had ignored earlier. His landlady had something of a soft spot for him and so at least once a week would leave him some kind of food that he would ignore at first in his drive to create music and then appreciate fully once he allowed himself the time to eat.

Munching on the bread and walking over to his window, Aizen looked out over the rows of houses filled with sleeping occupants. He would remain awake a while longer, reveling in the near silent night and using the time to review what had happened during rehearsal, go back over the work he had just completed mentally to make sure he was pleased with what he had done and especially to plot out the days and weeks ahead.

So much to do and it was almost time to move on to the next step. However, there was no doubt in Aizen's mind that everything would go according to plan and that before the year was out, he would have fulfilled his dreams. All of them.

**Author's Note:**

Ok, so I hope Orihime's integration into the Kuchiki family was believable and that even though I made that change, that Byakuya is still Byakuya only different, if you know what I mean.

I think it turned out pretty good and as always, I love hearing from you guys whether you loved it, liked it, have some suggestions for me or anything in between!

**Author's Note Part** **2**:

With a little help from dshirochan, I just had one of those 'Could have had a V-8' moments in regards to having a list of the musical terms at the end along with as easy a definition as I can come up with. Thank you for the suggestion sweetie! :)

_Aria and recitative-_In opera, singers will either sing in one or the other of these styles throughout the opera. The difference is that arias are more melodious and are a chance for singers to show off their vocal talent, while recitative allows the singers to move rapidly through sung dialogue in order to advance the story. (That's why a lot of arias in opera tend to say the same things over and over since they usually don't advance the story much and the singer(s) want(s) to make absolutely sure that the audience is quite clear about their emotional, mental or physical state in reaction to what is happening in the plot and spend roughly five minutes or more repeating that thought ad verbatim)

_Rubato-_Can be translated as 'stolen time' or 'taking time'. Allows the singer (or instrumentalist depending on the setting) to speed up or slow down at their own discretion in order to add more into their dramatic performance. When we speak, most of us don't speak at the same speed or intensity all the time, so rubato helps to make the music more realistic and impactful.

I think I covered everything in there so far, but let me know if I missed anything! :)


	3. Angel: New and Old Acquaintances

Music of Angels and Demons

Opening night. The excitement, the anticipation, the adrenaline and the absolutely complete, mind-blowing chaos.

"Twenty minutes to curtain people!"

"Where did I put that wig?"

"Somebody help me please!"

"That plant isn't needed until the end of the second act!"

"Where are the Countess's shoes?"

"Would someone please move these planks somewhere where people aren't walking?"

"Excuse me! Miss Neliel needs some assistance with her hair!"

"I can't seem to find Figaro's measuring rod!"

Maestro Rose stood off to the side watching the madness unfold before him. There was a small smile on his lips as he thought about how in less than a half hour the audience would be completely drawn into the drama unfolding onstage. However, the rehearsed drama was comparably amusing to the unrehearsed version, in his opinion.

Even though some of the cast and crew were becoming somewhat irritable with all the little problems popping up here and there, the maestro knew that by the time the curtain was scheduled to rise, everything and everyone would be in their proper place. It always worked out like that because these people were professionals.

Over in the dressing room area, Orihime and Rukia were getting situated in their costumes and putting the finishing touches on their stage make-up alongside the rest of the female chorus members and minor characters. On Orihime's right, Rangiku Matsumoto and Neliel Tu Odelschwanck were prepping themselves for their roles of the Countess Rosina Almaviva and Susanna respectively. On Rukia's left Kirio Hikifune, the leading mezzo-soprano of the Royal Opera Theater for the last 10 years and who was now taking a small step back to allow Rangiku and Neliel to take the 'leading roles' in this opera, was liberally powdering her cheeks and nose.

Down in the orchestra pit, Aizen, Kaname and Gin along with the other orchestra members were getting themselves comfortably situated. Sounds of instruments being tuned, difficult passages being practiced, stands being adjusted and music being organized on those stands wafted up from the pit. Every once in a while, small talk would be exchanged, but mostly the musicians were focused on the task ahead of them.

The audience members also had to take their positions in the opera house as well. The Kurosaki family settled themselves comfortably in their box seats and then began chatting amicably with their box seat neighbors. Opera glasses whose purpose was intended to help a person see the actors and actresses on stage were actually being used to peruse the audience.

Now the stage was set. Everyone was in their proper place. The show could begin.

* * *

"That was a wonderful opening night everyone. Thank you for all your hard work, but let's make sure that we don't get lazy in the next few weeks. Every show needs to get better and better!"

Cast and crew alike applauded Maestro Otoribashi's miniature speech before Shunsui Kyoraku stepped forward and said jovially, "In honor of this spectacular start to the opera season, my partner and I decided to organize an Afterglow reception for our most devoted patrons to share with all of you."

This time the applause was more enthusiastic, but then quickly dissipated as everyone was anxious to finish up their various responsibilities in order to get ready for the reception. About fifteen minutes later, the Afterglow was in full swing with light refreshments and beverages served.

Standing with her friends and munching on a pastry, Orihime giggled and said, "I was so afraid I was going to forget every single one of my cues out there, but fortunately I remembered what Miss Rangiku told me about just trusting my instincts and reactions."

Giving Orihime an inquisitive look, Renji asked, "What do you mean by that? You make it sound as if you were fighting or something."

Looking thoughtful, Orihime took a reflective bite of pastry, chewed, swallowed and said, "Well, I guess in a way that's kind of what it is like. Practicing swordplay or something like that. When you do something over and over and over again, it kind of gets burned into your memory and muscles so that in a way you can do certain things without thinking about it."

"That's exactly right, Little Princess!" came a cheery voice from behind the group.

Everyone turned to see Rangiku Matsumoto making her way to join their little circle with a glass of champagne in one hand and her other laced through Gin Ichimaru's arm. Walking alongside the pair were Sosuke Aizen and Kaname Tosen. As they entered the circle of young people, Rangiku and Gin stood between Rukia and Renji, Kaname slipped between Chad and Uryu and Aizen smoothly filled in the gap between Uryu and Orihime.

At the arrival of the newcomers and more experienced musicians and singers into their midst, Orihime especially had become somewhat subdued since she was trying to keep herself from doing or saying anything that would embarrass herself or reflect badly on the Kuchiki family. That being said, she did offer Aizen a friendly smile in greeting and received an amused grin in return.

"Forgive me if I come off as being forward," Aizen said in a low, soothing voice, "but allow me to assist you."

Orihime blinked owlishly at Aizen for a moment before she saw him reach out, brush his thumb across her mouth and then slowly retract his hand from her face. At first, she wasn't sure how to react and then her face flushed crimson as she realized what Aizen had just done.

"Oh dear me! How careless of me! Rukia and Hisana are forever admonishing me to remember why napkins were invented, but I just don't think of such things when I'm enjoying a nice pastry and this pastry was so delicious that it completely slipped my mind to beware of crumbs and now I've gone and made a fool of myself and I'm…I'm…"

Unsure of how to keep going, Orihime finally stopped talking, which gave Aizen a chance to respond by saying, "I understand entirely. The pastries from Astoria are positively heaven sent so that they can almost make one stop thinking or enjoying anything else around them."

Eyes glowing, Orihime replied, "Exactly! I've often said that if becoming an opera singer doesn't work out, then I would love to work in a pastry shop like Astoria."

Looking dreamily into the distance, Orihime said almost reverently, "Petite fours, bichon au citron, bruttiboni, cannoli, choux, mille-feuille…oh, so many wonderful things to eat and try! It would almost be like having a piece of heaven on earth, don't you think?"

Nodding his head reflectively, Aizen replied, "I suppose so. For me, I would say I feel closest to heaven when I hear especially beautiful music."

Seeming to come to himself, Aizen said apologetically, "But I am being immensely rude right now, speaking to you in such a forward and friendly way when I have not even properly introduced myself."

The blush that had slowly receded until it was just coloring her cheeks flamed back up again as Orihime realized the extent of her blunder where decorum was concerned.

Overhearing their conversation, Rangiku quickly extracted herself from her own conversation with the others in the circle and from Gin's arm and said breezily, "How careless of me not to remember to introduce everyone properly! Sosuke Aizen, may I present Orihime Inoue. Orihime Inoue, may I introduce you to Sosuke Aizen."

Stepping back and looking pleased, Rangiku said cheerily, "There now. You two can talk to each other freely," before she went back and laced her arm through Gin's a resumed her own steady stream of dialogue with the others.

Smiling sheepishly up at Aizen, Orihime said, "You know, it's funny. Before we were introduced, my mind was constantly coming up with things to say, but now that we have been officially made known to one another…I am at a loss for what to say."

Aizen chuckled slightly at Orihime's confession and said, "I do feel a little ashamed at my lack of proper decorum at the beginning of our acquaintance. However, on the other hand, if proper procedures had been followed I might never have found out about your great love of delicious pastries."

Gradually warming back up to Aizen, Orihime giggled and said, "Yes, I suppose so. Right then, I completely forgot that I had never met you before, I mean I have seen you here, playing in the pit and whatnot, but I almost felt as though we had known each other forever and that I could say anything around you."

Cocking her head to the side, Orihime asked, "That didn't make any sense at all, did it?"

Shaking his head, Aizen answered, "No, actually I think it made perfect sense to me. Despite the fact that we have never met and talked in person, we have made a connection with each other through our music."

Aizen responded to Orihime's even more perplexed expression by going on, "Musicians use instruments or their voices as a kind of conductor or outlet to show off their innermost self. They oftentimes bare their very souls to their audience and especially their fellow musicians. When we were rehearsing together along with everyone else, you could say our minds, hearts and maybe even souls were all connected together, bound by the common goal of wanting to create beauty through our music."

Nodding her head thoughtfully, Orihime said slowly, "Yes, yes I see what you're saying, in a way…I think…"

Giving Aizen a small yet glowing smile, Orihime said, "From the way you talk about music, I would imagine that-"

She never got to finish the thought, though, as at that moment Shunsui, Jyuushiro, Maestro Otoribashi and the Kurosaki family walked up from the left, while Byakuya and Hisana were approaching from the right.

The moment she saw Ichigo approaching, Orihime felt her face and neck flush and her brain went into overdrive trying to figure out what to say. Should she mention that they had met before or would that be considered tasteless and impolite to do? What if he remembered her but didn't want to show it because his family was around? What should she do?

Shunsui led his group over to where Rangiku and Gin were still standing, arms linked, and said to his important patrons, "Ah, and here is the dazzling Rangiku Matsumoto or as you saw tonight, our very own Countess Almaviva! Miss Matsumoto, Mr. Isshin Kurosaki and his son Ichigo and his two charming daughters, Karin and Yuzu."

Stretching out her hand graciously, Rangiku said, "A pleasure to meet you officially, Mr. Kurosaki. I hope tonight's performance was enjoyable for you and your family."

Taking Rangiku's proffered hand with a smile, Isshin inclined his head politely over it before he replied, "Everything about the performance was absolutely exquisite. The first time you came on to sing, my youngest daughter, Yuzu, was so moved I thought she might begin to cry."

Turning her attention to the youngest Kurosaki, Rangiku placed one hand over her heart while stretching out the other to clasp Yuzu's hand as she said, "I do hope, my dear, that my performance wasn't too taxing on your emotions."

Shaking her head emphatically and speaking earnestly, Yuzu replied, "Oh no! Your portrayal of the disheartened, forgotten Countess was superb. And then in the following scenes when the Countess and Susanna begin plotting and all the chaos ensues, I couldn't stop laughing."

Smiling kindly, Rangiku said, "I couldn't ask for a better compliment then. Any artist is always pleased to hear from audience members who were truly moved and pulled into their performances either on stage, on their instruments or on their canvases."

Linking her arm back through Gin's and bringing him forward, Rangiku said with a grin, "In my line of work, though, it's not just a matter of making sure my own performance is impeccable, I need to have a trustworthy orchestra to support me. Isn't that right, Gin?"

Chuckling and grinning back at Rangiku, Gin replied, "Yes, Rangiku. We who work from the depths of the orchestra pit do our best to make sure the singers on stage have a solid musical backdrop on which they can add their own splashes of color and personality."

Karin stepped forward and asked, "So you are a member of the orchestra?"

Inclining his head deferentially, Gin replied, "I am. My name is Gin Ichimaru and I play the clarinet."

Letting out a short, feminine laugh, Rangiku playfully smacked Gin's shoulder as she said, "You're not just any clarinet player, Gin, you're the principal," she put extra emphasis on the word, "clarinetist."

Before anyone could say anything, Maestro Otoribashi stepped forward and said, "Let me finish with the introductions and then we can chat more comfortably," and so proceeded to do just that, working his way around the circle.

When he reached Orihime, the maestro began, "And last, but certainly not least, may I introduce the young lady who played the role of Barbarina tonight. Her name is-"

"Orihime."

Everyone turned in surprise to look at Yuzu Kurosaki, who was in turn giving Orihime a glowing smile. For her part, Orihime's expression had been initially blank in surprise, but not she slowly began to return Yuzu's friendly gaze.

Karin grinned at Orihime and extended her hand saying, "Why, it is our old friend, Orihime Inoue. How have you been?"

Clasping Karin's hand, Orihime replied, "I have been quite well. I didn't think you would remember me after all this time."

Reaching out to enclose her sister's and Orihime's hands with her own, Yuzu said in an excited voice, "But of course we remember you! I'm just sorry I didn't recognize you sooner when you were performing. You did such a lovely job."

Giving her brother a meaningful look, Karin said shrewdly, "I'm just curious why Ichigo didn't mention that he had met you again after all these years when he and Father came to the opera house a few days ago..."

Up until this point, Ichigo had been mentally kicking himself for somehow not being able to put two and two together. Ever since that day at the opera house, he had been wracking his brain trying to remember why the young lady looked so familiar to him and now he couldn't stop thinking about just how stupid he was.

Of course the young girl he had met all those years ago would eventually grow up, but for whatever reason, when Ichigo thought of Orihime Inoue he never even considered her to be someone who could grow up. However, Mother Nature and Father Time obviously didn't think Ichigo's opinion worth listening to and the little girl had suddenly come back into his life transformed into a lovely young lady.

Trying to keep a lid on his annoyance with his perceptive younger sister, Ichigo said in a cool tone, "There were a lot of people milling around."

Ignoring Karin's skeptical gaze, Ichigo turned to Orihime, took her hand, bowed over it and said, "It is a pleasure to see you again, Miss Inoue. Your performance tonight was lovely."

Fighting to keep her composure, Orihime responded in a shaky but pleased voice, "Th-thank you very much, Mr. Kurosaki. I am very pleased to be reacquainted with you and your family again after all this time."

Straightening up, Ichigo said politely, "My father is 'Mr. Kurosaki' and because we are old friends, please call me by my first name."

Blushing furiously, Orihime nevertheless spoke in a pleased tone, saying, "Then I must insist that you do the same as well…Ichigo."

A miniscule grin tugged at the corners of his mouth as Ichigo responded, "Very well then, Orihime, how are you and your brother doing?"

Looking down at the floor for a moment to collect her thoughts, Orihime raised her gaze again and said slowly, "Actually, it wasn't long after we parted ways that my brother passed away."

At these words, Karin and Yuzu looked at Orihime sympathetically while Ichigo's expression remained frozen before he managed to say, "I am sorry, Orihime. I didn't mean to be insensitive."

Shaking her head vigorously, Orihime said hastily, "Oh no, no! There was no way you could have known about Sora's death and it has been so long that I don't miss him as often as I used to.

"And also, before Sora died, the Kuchiki family graciously and generously promised by brother that they would take care of me, and so I'm very happy now."

Yuzu reached out to clasp Orihime's hands again as she said, "I am also sorry for your loss, but I'm so glad to hear you are so happy."

Orihime was about to reply, when Aizen suddenly spoke up saying, "I do hate to interrupt your conversation, Miss Inoue, but I always help Kaname to walk home and I have some work to get done tonight so…"

Turning to face her new acquaintance, Orihime asked, "You're leaving?"

Nodding his head regretfully, Aizen said, "As the saying goes 'No rest for the weary'."

Looking concerned, Orihime said, "I certainly hope you won't push yourself too much Mr. Aizen."

Taking up Orihime's hand and bending over it once more, Aizen looked into Orihime's eyes and said in his low, smooth voice, "When it comes to this project I'm working on, there are times when I cannot force my brain to stop spinning and weaving plans inside my head. But for your sake, I promise that I will not push myself too hard."

Brushing his lips on the back of Orihime's hand, Aizen finished with, "It was a pleasure finally meeting you, Miss Inoue. We must talk more some other time," and then he turned to take his leave of the rest of the group before turning on his heel and making his way out into the cool night air with Kaname following closely behind.

* * *

The Kurosaki's remained a little longer at the party before taking their leave.

As Ichigo stood in front of Orihime, he was at a loss for a moment how to take his leave of her. He had been immensely surprised and slightly irritated at how that cello player, Aizen by name if he wasn't mistaken, had said farewell to Orihime. Far too much…just too much. Ichigo had decided that he didn't like that Aizen man at all. However, now Ichigo had to figure out how he was going to say good-bye.

Yuzu and Karin saved him yet again by stepping forward, offering their hands and repeating again how nice it was to reconnect with Orihime after all this time and that they would soon be sending an invitation for her and the Kuchiki family to come and visit or have dinner sometime soon.

So Ichigo stepped forward, gave Orihime a small bow and said, "Until we meet again, then?"

Dipping her head and giving him a small curtsey, Orihime replied simply, "Until we meet again."

Once they were inside the carriage, Isshin, who had been suspiciously quiet almost the entire time Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu had been talking with Orihime and the other opera members, grinned over at his son and gave him a meaningful look as he said, "So, my boy, I don't think I've ever heard you or your sisters mention this charming Orihime Inoue before. Just how did the two of you meet?"

Ichigo let out an irritated sigh at his father's question. Now the interrogation had begun and Ichigo knew from experience that if he didn't get this over now, it would mean that his father would not leave him along and keep pestering for about three days before Isshin started acting a lunatic. At least, more loony than usual, so Ichigo started from the beginning.

"I met her back when you were on that trip to Malaya…"

* * *

It wasn't much longer before the Kuchiki family took their leave of the gathering as well. Their carriage ride had a similar conversation to the one happening inside the Kurosaki carriage.

Waiting about two minutes before beginning, Byakuya finally broke the silence within the carriage by asking, "Orihime, would you mind explaining to me exactly how you know the Kurosaki boy?"

Within the darkened interior of the carriage, Byakuya could not see Orihime's blushing face, but he heard the evidence of it when she began to stammer out, "H-h-how I kn-know the Kuro-I mean, I-I-I-Ichi-Ichigo? W-w-well…umm…wh-where to start…hmmm…ummm…I'm n-n-not quite sure…"

Much to Orihime's relief, Rukia came to Orihime's rescue and told Byakuya everything Orihime had related to her. When Rukia had finished, for a good minute there was silence in the carriage before Byakuya broke it again with two simple words.

"I see."

There was a sound of rustling fabric as Hisana moved closer to her husband in order to thread her fingers through his as she said, "Now, now Byakuya. No need to think like that just yet. Only time will tell."

For whatever reason, neither Rukia nor Orihime understood Hisana's softly spoken words, but Byakuya seemed to and his response was to grunt and lightly squeeze his wife's hand. The rest of the carriage ride went on in companionable silence, but once Rukia and Orihime arrived home they stayed up late into the night talking about the night's events. Across the city, two other young girls who also shared a bedroom within the Kurosaki household stayed up later than usual in order to talk about what had happened that night.

In his part of the city, Aizen also stayed up late into the night thinking over the events of the party. He had now officially made Miss Orihime Inoue's acquaintance and so could proceed to the next stage of his plan. The song was nearly finished, Aizen just wanted to give himself another week or so to really make sure that everything about it was perfect. He had set up an appointment with an influential music composer and publisher in a month's time, so he had time to build on the connection he had now forged with Miss Inoue before he approached her with his proposal.

A grin spread across his face as he looked at the pages of his masterpiece and said to himself, "It is almost time. Just a little longer."

**Author's Note:**

Good Lord, it's taking me forever to get anything finished anymore. I'm really hoping to get this story and 'Hearts' finished really soon as well as 'Love' and 'Beauty of Chaos'...oh dear...I have a lot of things I need to finish up. Wish I could go back to the time when I would just do one story at a time, but it looks like I'm to the point when juggling more than one idea is what I'm going to do.

Anyway, I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to be kind of sad when this almost sweet and charming Aizen is swapping for the murdering and almost unlovable one. Just a bit of a spoiler for later, there are two characters for sure that I'm going to (for lack of a better phrase) 'kill off', but I'm debating on a few others as well. The Phantom in the musical and stories leaves a fairly bloody trail in his wake, so I'm not quite sure if I'll do more than two deaths at this point, but it is a possibility.

Also, just so that everyone is on the same page, someone asked me about where the setting is. I specifically left that vague because I don't want to have to deal with specific landmarks and those things if I don't have to. However, so that you have an idea of what I'm thinking, I imagine the story taking place in Europe before the turn of the century or maybe a little after the century. I would say most likely England or France would be a good place to imagine this taking place, so whatever works for you, but definitely not Japan. I guess that would make this an AU story then.

All right, I'm done now. Hope to hear from you guys and to have the next chapter up in a week or two (keep your fingers crossed!)!


	4. Angel: Diverging Paths

Music of Angels and Demons

A month later, with Le Nozze di Figaro nearing the completion of its run, rehearsals for Lucia di Lammermoor were underway and coming together nicely. The signature role had been given to Neliel Tu Odelschwanck due to her remarkable ability to seamlessly change her emotional state at the drop of a hat, which was especially effective during her 'Mad Scene'.

Even though Orihime had enjoyed taking on a role with a name in Figaro, this time around she was relieved to be a chorus member. Being a part of the chorus was no easy task to her mind. No, you didn't get the same glory as those who stood alone and seemed to carry the weight of the entire opera on their shoulders, but without a strong orchestra and chorus the world's most famous singer could be made to look ridiculous.

Some of the challenges she had encountered when a part of the chorus was to not only know her own part, but the parts of the rest of the chorus, how they all supported the main singer or singers and how all the voices blended together with the orchestra. It was a lot to keep track of. Also, any chorus could sing at full voice and resonate across the hall, but Maestro Otoribashi had revealed to her that a truly great chorus could also sing so quietly that they were no more than a whisper creeping its way to the ears of the audience and only barely perceptible.

At the moment, she and the chorus members were waiting for the Maestro to finish critiquing Byakuya's performance as Lord Enrico Ashton, brother to the title character. Apparently, Byakuya hadn't quite kept with the orchestra during his scene where he is showing Lucia a forged letter from her lover in order to convince Lucia that she should marry the man Enrico chose for her.

Orihime was so engrossed in listening to what the Maestro was saying that she failed to notice several figures coming up behind her. That is until one of them gripped her elbow and turned her around. Orihime's squeaky gasp of surprise was caught by the wonderful acoustics of the hall and carried all the way up to the Maestro's highly trained and sensitive ears.

Even without looking, Maestro Otoribashi knew exactly who had made the sound, so intrinsically did he know the sound of each opera singer's voice, and asked brusquely, "Miss Orihime, are you quite well?"

As if on cue, every eye turned their gaze to focus on the young girl, which caused her face to begin flaming in embarrassment and stammer pitifully, "I-I-I-I…I didn't me-m-m-mean to…I-I-I'm so so-"

Coming valiantly to Orihime's rescue, Rukia bowed her head apologetically and explained, "It is my fault, Maestro. I startled Miss Orihime when I tried to get her attention just now. I am deeply ashamed."

The Maestro nodded his head curtly and gave the two girls and young men standing behind them a meaningful look as he said, "See that it doesn't happen again," before he returned his attention to his conversation with Byakuya and the orchestra.

Turning around, Orihime saw not only Rukia, but Uryu, Chad and Renji standing behind her all looking rather amused at the turn of events. Ever the practical one, Uryu indicated that they should move a little further away from the front of the stage so that hopefully they would not disrupt the rehearsal a second time. Once, the Maestro would usually overlook, but two disruptions from the same source and in a short period of time from one another…well, none of them especially wanted to have to face those consequences.

Once they were all sequestered in their usual corner, Orihime's bemused gaze went to Rukia as she said, "Sorry about that Orihime. We just wanted to talk to you a bit about what's been going on lately."

Blinking slowly, Orihime asked, "What do you mean?"

Seemingly unable to properly answer the question, Rukia looked to the others for assistance and Uryu adjusted his glasses saying matter-of-factly, "Well, we've noticed that recently you seem to be spending a good amount of time before or after rehearsals talking with Sosuke Aizen. You have been getting on rather well with him, from what I can see."

Nodding her head bemusedly, Orihime responded with, "Yes, I have. He is kind and extremely intelligent and he gives me a lot of good advice."

Crossing his arms in front of him, Uryu gave Orihime a small smile and said, "Yes, it seems that way. We just want to understand the…what's the word…nature of your relationship with him. Do you consider him as a friend or maybe something a little more…well more?"

It took Orihime a few moments to process exactly what Uryu was referring to, but then slowly her face began to color as she replied, "He's…he's just a friend. We talk a lot about music and he has told me that one day he wants to compose his own music, in fact he has a piece that he would like me to look at some time soon after he's taken it to a publisher."

Quirking an eyebrow at Orihime, Renji said tactlessly, "Well I don't think that he considers you to be just a friend."

"What do you mean?" Orihime asked for the second time.

Before anyone else in the group could stop him, Renji blundered on, "I've seen him looking at you a couple of times when you didn't notice. He gets this look on his face that's kind of weird, almost like he's-OW! Rukia!"

It was sheer dumb luck that at the precise moment Renji shouted out in pain, Maestro Otoribashi had the brass practice a particular section that drowned out Renji's voice. If such had not been the case…well, Renji did have something of a lucky streak that would come in very handy later on down the road.

For Rukia's part, after giving Renji a particularly hard stomp on his foot, she planted her fists on her hips and glared daggers at the much taller young man and whispered fiercely, "First of all, keep your voice down, you blithering idiot! Rehearsal is still underway! Secondly, you're making Mr. Aizen sound like some sort of rotter, which he is not!"

Turning to Orihime, Rukia said, "What most of us are trying to get you to understand is that we know how you feel about Mr. Aizen, but we're not sure about him. We know you are not the kind of girl to…to…"

Once again, Rukia looked to Uryu for assistance and he once again supplied the precise words needed by saying, "String a chap along."

Orihime's eyes widened even more as Rukia finished quickly, "Yes, exactly. You see him as a good friend and he might feel the same way, but if it just so happens that Mr. Aizen is trying to get to know you a little better before he comes calling…well…do you see?"

Slowly nodding her head, Orihime looked almost frightened as she said, "Yes…yes, I think I do. Oh dear…oh dear, oh dear, oh dear."

Uryu effectively halted Orihime from spiraling into a fit of worry by grasping her upper arms firmly, making sure she was looking into his eyes and said quite calmly, "Now don't go putting the cart before the horse. We don't want to make you worry or anxious about seeing or talking to Mr. Aizen as a friend because he does seem like a decent sort of chap."

Rukia spoke up next, saying, "However, we don't want you to be taken by surprise if he does happen to say something to you. When you get flustered or are not prepared for something, you wind up doing or saying something that you don't really mean.

"If, and I'm only saying 'if'," Rukia put special emphasis on the word, "Mr. Aizen were to confess that he loved you and ask how you felt about him, in the heat of the moment your tender heart and feelings would prompt you to tell him that you loved him as well."

Orihime looked ready to protest, but Rukia held up a hand saying, "I know you Orihime. You are honest and open, but you do get caught up in the moment and in your mind you would think 'Well, I love him as a friend, so I suppose I should tell him that I love him' and then you'd be miserable later because you hadn't told him the truth."

Reaching out to clasp Orihime's hands between her own, Rukia finished with, "All four of us thought it would be best to tell you about this possibility simply so that it would give you time to think about it for yourself. The more time you have to think about something, the better the chances are that you will make the best choice for yourself when the opportunity presents itself."

Orihime was about to say something and thank her friends for their concern for her, but just at that moment Maestro Otoribashi's voice said in a matter-of-fact tone, "Well, it would be extremely useful to use this time now to rehearse Lucia's 'Mad Scene', but is seems as though a portion of our chorus has yet to return from their break…"

* * *

After the rehearsal was over, Fate decided to become involved in the lives of Aizen and Orihime as neither one was able talk for very long. Orihime and the Kuchiki's were to dine with the Kurosaki family while Aizen's long awaited appointment with the music publisher was both scheduled for that night.

Walking up to one another, both tried to find the right words to say, something that hadn't happened since the first time they had met.

However, it was only a few moments before Aizen broke the silence by saying, "Miss Orihime, may I ask you something?"

Immediately Orihime's head began racing, but she forced her expression and voice to remain composed as she replied, "Yes…yes, of course."

Being an astute judge of subtle body language, Aizen knew something was bothering Orihime, but didn't let on as he went on, "Over the past few weeks, we have gotten to know each other rather well and we have had many engaging and insightful conversations. I rather fancy that we have gotten to know each other rather well."

At these words, Orihime's heart began to race even faster, but still she fought for control as she said, "Yes…yes, I suppose we have."

"Miss Orihime…" Aizen's voice was smooth and silky as he said each syllable of her name and watched the effect it had on her before he let out a snort of laughter and chuckled, deep and rumbling, from his belly all the way to his dark brown eyes.

Looking positively alarmed and bewildered, Orihime asked in a worried tone, "Mr. Aizen, what is the matter? Are you all right?"

Still chuckling, Aizen replied, "I apologize, Miss Orihime. I just couldn't resist teasing you like that. I'm guessing that your friends revealed to you that I might harbor deep, passionate and romantic feelings for you, didn't they?"

Orihime's blush and stammering voice were answer enough and Aizen said soothingly, "Let me be completely honest with you, Miss Orihime. Even before we had met officially that night during the Afterglow, I had wanted to meet you for quite some time. There is something I wish to propose-"

At that word, Orihime blanched and looked ready to faint from shock, which caused Aizen smack his forehead in self-deprecation as he said, "I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry. That was a poor choice of words on my part."

Looking seriously at Orihime, Aizen said, "I am not referring to marriage when I use the word 'propose', but rather to ask you about a possible combination of our artistic talents sometime in the near future."

Quirking her head and looking at Aizen curiously, he went on saying, "You remember that I told you that I would like to be a composer?" when Orihime nodded her assent, Aizen said, "Well, tonight I have a meeting that will hopefully put those plans into motion, but the reason I am telling you this is because I believe we would make a great musical sensation.

"I won't go into details at the moment about my plan, but I wanted to tell you this now so that you could begin thinking about whether or not you would like to work with me. I don't want you to make a spur of the moment decision about this because it is not only my career that will be affected, but yours as well. That is not a choice to be made lightly."

Still blinking in confusion, Orihime asked, "I don't understand. What choice are you talking about?"

Aizen reached down and took one of her hands in his and replied simply, "I'm asking if you would be willing to move away from working in the opera house in order to work together with me. Making and creating music with me. Combining our artistic abilities to awe and inspire audiences all around Europe.

"I have to go or I will be late for my appointment, but will you think about it tonight?"

There was a silence that stretched for about five seconds before Orihime replied, "Yes…I will think about it."

Smiling at her, Aizen brushed his lips across her hand as he said, "I am delighted to hear you say that," and with that he picked up his cello case and walked away saying, "We will talk more tomorrow!"

Fate, however, had a different plan for Aizen and Orihime. Oh, they would meet again, that was certain, but neither knew the reunion would not be the next morning.

**Author's Note:**

I'm not going to say much about this at this point (because I have to go to bed), but also because I am simply going to say like I always do that if you have any questions, comments about things I did well or not so well or anything else like that, just leave me a comment or message me and I will respond.

Hope you liked this chapter!


	5. Angel: A Glimpse of Heaven

Music of Angels and Demons

"Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Kuchiki! It is delightful, absolutely delightful that all of you could come over to spend the evening with us."

Hisana took Count Kurosaki's proffered hand smiling graciously as she said, "It was so kind of you to extend the invitation, Count Kurosaki."

Brushing his lips quickly across the back of Hisana's hand, the Count then turned and said with a beaming smile, "Miss Kuchiki and Miss Inoue! What a pleasure, what an absolute pleasure it is to see you two stunning young ladies!"

Rukia and Orihime both looked immensely pleased with the Count's flattering remarks and Orihime began to blush as Isshin reached out to grasp each of their hands as he went on, "I'm sure that Mr. Kuchiki is having to keep a sharp eye out for the multitudes of young men eager to come calling and courting either one of you."

Byakuya's eyes and tone became a fraction cooler as he said, "Rukia and Orihime are at that age, that is correct."

Trying to keep a straight face as she took in her husband's reaction to Isshin's words, Hisana said breezily, "It is amazing how time flies. One day you look out of your window watching two young girls frolicking around playing make-believe, and then you turn around to find the girls have turned into lovely young women."

This statement caused Isshin's eyes to seemingly fill up as he turned towards his daughters standing behind him as he said, "Oh yes! My own two beautiful girls have grown up before my very eyes! Why, it seems like only yesterday that they were pretending that-"

"Father, please cease boring our guests here in the foyer," said Karin abruptly before smiling graciously at the guests and ushering them towards the parlour.

The Count looked immensely disappointed at being, for all intents and purposes, 'forbidden' from revealing more about Miss Karin and Miss Yuzu's childhood fantasies. He deflated even more as he received not one, but two warning glares from his eldest son and raven haired daughter respectively.

As she stepped foot into the parlour, it took all of Orihime's will-power and memory of her lessons in proper decorum to force herself not to 'Ooh', 'Ah' and just gap open-mouthed at the lavish decorations of the room. The Kuchiki's were quite well-off, but the Kurosaki's…they were filthy rich.

Ornate crimson draperies with golden embroidery hung in front of the floor to ceiling windows. Beautifully painted portraits of past monarchs and family patriarchs adorned the walls in exquisitely crafted frames. The furniture and rugs were either the exact shade of crimson as the draperies, or were a harmonizing dark, olive green. All around, other expensive knick-knacks and objects filled the room, which all gave one the impression that despite the fact that no average person could purchase these things, all were selected with great care and good taste. The room was carefully put together and everything in the room was there for a reason, not just because it would show off the amount of money the owner of the room had at his disposal.

In some ways, Orihime was loath to sit on one of the furnishings for fear that she might somehow ruin it through her clumsy ways. Rukia sensed Orihime's reluctance, gripped her adopted sister's arm tighter, forcefully guided her over to a settee and pulled Orihime down next to her. Even with this prompting, Orihime scooted up so that only the tiniest part of her rear was touching the cushion. It took a lot of concentration and effort, but while Orihime's legs and back were tightly clenched in order to maintain her balance and posture, she kept her arms relaxed and her face composed so as not to arouse anyone's suspicions.

A little ways away, Hisana sat down in an overstuffed chair while Byakuya stood stoically behind her, a hand resting on the back of the chair and she looked appreciatively around the room and said politely, "I love the color scheme in here. One wouldn't expect such colors to complement one another, but it was a bold choice and it looks quite unique."

Count Isshin's eyes glowed with pride as he smiled and gestured towards the prettily blushing Yuzu and said proudly, "Yuzu recently took over redecorating some of the rooms in the house and this was her first project."

Turning her attention towards Yuzu, Hisana said kindly, "Well, my dear, you certainly have a good eye for color. What made you think of using this mixture?"

Cheeks flushing a little more, Yuzu fussed with the skirt of her dress for a moment before answering, "Well…the idea came to me when I saw a bowl of green olives one day."

Hisana's eyes widened for a moment before she looked thoughtful and said slowly, "A bowl of green olives…"

"Yes," said Yuzu hastily, "I was thinking how lovely red and green look together, but then with the gold mixed in…well, such a color scheme is beautiful, but it would always make one think of Christmas. However, when I saw the olives, I thought that maybe if I used an olive green…that maybe it would work."

Nodding appreciatively, Hisana replied, "That was very clever of you. Working with costumes, I understand how important it is to pick colors that will harmonize together and give the correct impressions."

At those words, Yuzu's eyes shot up to look at Hisana in surprised astonishment and admiration as she asked breathlessly, "You…you made the costumes?"

Letting out a soft laugh, Hisana nodded and said, "Yes, yes I do. I'm guessing that you appreciated my work displayed in Le Nozze di Figaro."

Yuzu nodded and smiled brightly, but didn't answer so Karin grinned at her sister before turning to Hisana and saying, "After the performance and then as we were going home, Yuzu couldn't say enough about how beautiful the Countess's dresses were, or how sleek Figaro's wedding clothes were or just how perfect the loose, pompous robes fit the Doctor's personality."

Hisana smiled in grateful appreciation at Karin before turning back to Yuzu and saying, "Our next production is to be Lucia di Lammermoor and currently I am in the middle of going from our sketching and planning of the costumes to the first fittings and creating the costumes."

Yuzu's eyes glowed brighter and brighter with excitement as Hisana continued, "The ladies I work with are absolute wizards with the needle, but when it comes to coming up with ideas, planning out the patterns and finding just the right fabrics to work with…well, I find myself working alone most of the time."

Before Hisana could say another word, Yuzu gave her father an imploring look as she asked, "Daddy? May I?"

A mischievous twinkle lit up the Count's eyes as he asked in mock confusion, "My dear Yuzu, I have no idea what you are trying to ask me. May you what?"

Looking fit to burst, Yuzu tried again, "Daddy, may I please go and help Mrs. Kuchiki? Please?"

Count Isshin crossed one arm over his chest and thoughtfully stroked his chin for a few moments before he shrugged and said, "Well, I certainly don't have a problem with it…" Yuzu beamed at him before he asked, "But aren't you being a little hasty, my dear? Mrs. Kuchiki has not yet extended an invitation, has she?"

Yuzu's expression was torn between mortification and disappointment as she looked from her father to Hisana, but the lady was too sweet to leave the young Miss Kurosaki in such a predicament and said politely, "Miss Yuzu, you have my permission to come and visit me at the opera house whenever you can spare the time."

It was all Yuzu could do to keep herself from letting out an excited squeal of pleasure as she replied, "Thank you, Mrs. Kuchiki. Thank you, Daddy."

"Dinner is served."

Good servants know how to be seen yet not heard. Great servants are able to keep themselves from being seen or heard until absolutely necessary. The Kurosaki butler was ten steps above being a great servant. He was impeccable and because of that inadvertently caused Orihime's downfall…quite literally.

Up until that point, Orihime had been listening with amusement to the banter going back and forth, but was still highly focused on remaining stiffly in her precarious position. Those three words, spoken suddenly from behind her, startled Orihime so badly that she squeaked and jumped before squeaking again and falling quite ungracefully to the floor. Because her arm had still been firmly looped through Orihime's, the moment Orihime went crashing to the floor, Rukia had been dragged along with her. As she fell, Rukia let out one startled cry before she knocked her forehead into Orihime's shoulder.

All the men in the room immediately sprang into action the moment Orihime's first cry sprang from her lips, so that mere moments after the two young women had touched the floor, eight large, strong and yet gentle hands reached out to pick Rukia and Orihime up.

As she was lifted up, Orihime felt her face begin to flame and her head start to spin as she stammered out, "I-I-I-I'm so sorry. C-c-clumsy…awkward…"

Then her voice and heart were stopped when one, specific male voice asked in a concerned tone, "Are you all right, Orihime?"

Unable to find her voice, Orihime nodded vigorously and took a shaky step forward. Before she even had time to stumble or crash to the floor, Orihime felt an arm slip around her waist and gently lower her until she was sitting once again on the settee, only this time with her back resting against the cushions so there was no danger of her falling off again.

Before Orihime could protest, that same voice said, "Ryuuken, would you please fetch Orihime a glass of water with a drop or two of brandy in it?"

"Right away, Sir."

At these words, Orihime's eyes snapped open and she began to try and struggle off the couch as she said, "Oh, there's no need to fuss over me, I'm perfectly well. Rukia needs to be tended to since I-"

Suddenly, Orihime's vision was arrested by a pair of dark brown eyes that clearly said that if she dared to try and get up, he would be greatly offended. Without another sound, Orihime slowly sank back onto the settee, but her eyes clearly revealed what she thought about the situation and the problems she was causing everyone. Ichigo's gaze softened slightly before he reached over to gently grasp Orihime's hand.

While the whole silent exchange had been observed by everyone, there were two pairs of eyes that showed the most interesting contrasts of emotions. The first pair had watched the young man and woman with an increasing look of pride and excitement, while the second looked at the pair with an expression of disbelief and apprehension. The next moment, all eyes flew to the parlour doorway as Ryuuken efficiently arrived with the requested beverage.

Byakuya silently intercepted the drink from the butler and strode over to where his ward still sat on the couch. Without a word, Byakuya handed the drink to Orihime, which was just as silently received. Orihime hesitated for a moment before she lifted the glass to her lips and drank the whole thing while trying to make as little noise as possible in the deadly quiet room. When she had finished, everyone was relieved to see that Orihime's previously pale cheeks were beginning to flush once more with color.

Looking between a pair of cool blue and dark brown eyes, Orihime said meekly, "Thank you," before casting her gaze downwards to look intently at her skirt.

With Ichigo still holding one hand, Byakuya reached out to secure her other one and both men helped Orihime to her feet. They stood silently for a time, unsure of what to do next when Ryuuken repeated the three word sentence that had caused all the commotion in the first place. The butler's words spurred Byakuya into action and he gently threaded Orihime's small hand until it rested in the crook of his arm before he turned and escorted his young charge towards the dining room. At this unexpected turn of events, Ichigo stood rather dumbfounded until he sensed someone standing next to him and looked down to see a pair of smiling and sparkling violet eyes staring up at him.

"Since my husband seems to have his hands full at the moment, would you mind escorting me to dinner?" asked Hisana in an amused tone.

Grinning down at her, Ichigo extended his arm, which Hisana accepted, before following the lead pair. For his part, Count Isshin turned and silently offered his arm to Rukia, who smiled up at him before just as silently accepting.

Before they left the parlour, Karin pulled her twin over to the side and whispered in an amused tone, "Ichigo may be completely clueless when it comes to love, but if he's this good right now, think of what damage he could do if he actually tried."

* * *

As soon as the food came into view, Orihime could almost forget the catastrophe she had singlehandedly caused in the parlour. Such a wide, scrumptious variety already laid out upon the table and yet Orihime could smell that there was far more waiting in the wings. It was so very hard to keep herself in check as the scent of freshly baked rolls, juicy beef with gravy and savory soufflé filled her nostrils, but with the mantra 'You must act like a lady' running through her mind, Orihime managed to sit down without incident. However, the pleasure and delight in her eyes as she gazed at the food did not go unnoticed.

The dinner tasted as good as and even better than it looked and smelled. The conversation was rather sparse at first, but gradually it began to pick up until most everyone engaged in pleasant exchanges. Nothing was rushed or forced, whether it was the courses of food or the conversation and that helped to create a congenial atmosphere.

As with all good things, the dinner eventually came to an end and everyone slowly rose from their seats in order to retire to the drawing room. Once again, Byakuya escorted Orihime, while Ichigo and Count Isshin in turn led Hisana and Rukia with Karin and Yuzu trailing along behind.

When everyone had settled comfortably into their spots (with Byakuya making sure that Orihime did not sit on the edge of the seat before he moved to stand behind his wife again), Count Isshin gave a contented sigh and said, "This has been a good evening. Good company, good food, good conversation…but you know what would make this evening positively splendid?"

The Count took a moment to take in everyone's bemused and curious expressions before he said, "Music. Hearing some well performed music would make this evening absolutely perfect."

Before anyone could say anything, Hisana leaned forward and said with a laugh, "Why Count Kurosaki, did you know that I had the same idea before we even left our house this evening? It is fortunate that you have a piano here because my husband, Orihime and Rukia have been practicing a little something called 'Mia bella Fiorentina' from Suppe's opera Boccaccio that I think is exactly what you are looking for."

Rukia gave her sister a pointed look as she said sweetly, "So that's why you insisted that we head out to the carriage ahead of you."

Hisana gave Rukia a bright smile before she said, "The sheet music is in the inner pocket of my cloak if someone would be so kind as to fetch it."

Ryuuken was promptly sent for the required papers and he returned less than a minute later with it. He handed the music to Rukia, who in turn gave Byakuya a questioning look. His response was to stoically make his way back over to Orihime and lead her over to stand in front of the piano.

Heaving a great sigh, Rukia said almost to herself, "I was afraid of that," before she walked over to the piano, sat down, adjusted herself on the bench and declared to her audience, "Do remember that we have rehearsed this only a select few times," and then she took a deep breath and began to play.

The instant Rukia's fingers pressed the keys, both the stoic Byakuya and the hesitant Orihime seemed to transform before the audience's eyes. The icy blue eyes came alive and sparked with amusement as the rich, baritone voice began to sing of how the beautiful Florentine girl standing opposite him did not realize or care how his unaccepted and unreturned declarations of love caused him such agony. The silver gray eyes danced with merriment while listening to these lamentations before eventually the sweet, lyric voice responded that such assumptions were just not true. Back and forth the eyes and voices bantered with one another while the playful piano accompaniment added to the musical atmosphere.

From his seat, Ichigo almost felt like that sweet voice and those dancing eyes were drawing his soul out of his body and towards the heavens. Her voice was pure, it was light, it was…her. The more he listened and allowed himself to be drawn in, the less he could imagine a time when that voice would stop. But the music did stop and he was abruptly dropped back to the earth. As he came to his senses, Ichigo realized that he had inched his way forward in his seat until he was on the very edge, like Orihime had been.

Much like Ichigo, when Orihime heard music, it seemed to transport her somewhere else. Her inhibitions and restraints were gone and she could be free to express herself. When the music ended though and she came to her senses, she looked up to have her gaze once again arrested by a pair of darkly intense brown eyes. She froze for a moment before a shy smile lifted her mouth and a questioning expression filled her eyes. After another moment, Ichigo's eyes glinted with appreciation and he gave Orihime a wider grin than usual, which in turn caused Orihime's eyes and face to positively light up with delight.

Once again this exchange was noticed by two pairs of eyes with contrasting expressions. The first was even more elated than before, while the other looked on in resignation with just a hint of melancholy.

It would only be a matter of time…or so they thought at the time.

**Author's Note:**

Ok, I have to be honest, I nearly cracked myself up a few times when I was writing some of these scenes. That whole falling off the edge of her chair thing...I have no idea where that came from, but I hope you found it as amusing as I did.

As requested, we have quite a bit of Ichihime developing in here and I hope you guys liked that as well. However, don't forget that we still have Aizen in the mix and I'll just let you all know now that the next chapter will be about him and how his night goes...unfortunately, it won't be pretty. We're getting to the point where multiple things need to come to a head, so I just have to keep things moving along.

Now, in regard to Ryuuken being the Kurosaki's butler...again, I have absolutely no idea where that came from. As soon as I typed his name I had to stop and think for a second, but then I thought that it just might work what with his whole cool demeanor, efficiency and aloof manner (just right for the perfect butler). Then as I got ready to post it I remembered that I already had Uryu as a part of this story in a completely different line of work and I was about ready to scrap the whole idea...when I remembered that Ryuuken and Uryu aren't on speaking terms at all, so I thought that I just might be able to use that to my advantage here. Just thought I'd give something of an explanation for my reasoning there in case it through anyone for a loop.

Anyway, I'm really excited to finally have this up for you to read and enjoy! Sorry for the long wait, though. I'll try to do better with this next one.


	6. Angel: Fall from Grace

Music of Angels and Demons

Aizen checked his pocket watch for the fifth time in as many minutes. Even though the watch was clearly telling him that less than a minute had gone by since he had last checked, Aizen's tightly-wound emotions would have said that it had been at least ten times that amount.

He needed to relax. He had arrived fifteen minutes early for his appointment with the music publisher and Aizen had been told to make himself comfortable until they were ready for him. This presentation had to run smoothly and it would be anything but if he couldn't get these ridiculous jitters under control.

Yes, there was always the chance that the publisher wouldn't have any interest in Aizen's music, but that was a small possibility. It was the best piece of music Aizen had come up with to date and in his own humble opinion that was saying something. The copy that he had sent ahead to the publisher for him to look over had been flawlessly drawn out. Not a single mistake to be found.

Everything was falling into place exactly as he had planned. Looking at the big picture, Aizen reminded himself that waiting a few extra minutes before the publisher would have time to see him was really not something that he needed to be anxious about. If one tried to force the leaves and petals of a small bud apart, then the flower would be ruined. Exert a little patience and tender care and soon enough one could pluck a full and much more beautiful flower from the stem.

Just as these thoughts were beginning to give way to others, a door opened a little further down the hallway and a middle-aged man said in a crisp, business tone, "Right this way, please, Mr. Aizen," to which Aizen responded to immediately.

Upon entering the room, Aizen was struck by the thought that this publisher was all about appearances and making the correct impression. The impression was one of power and powerful connections. One could only go so far in the music industry or any industry connected with the arts without having powerful connections.

The man sitting behind the elaborately carved mahogany desk looked the part of a person who has power and influence and he pulled it off so well because it was a role he had created and enforced himself. His large barrel chest and stocky body were going slightly to pasture now that he was middle-aged, but if one was unintelligent enough to try and overpower this man using brute force, intimidation or any other method, that person would quickly discover their grave error in judgment. This man had spent his whole lifetime creating his reputation and publishing empire and he did not take threats to either of those two things lightly.

When Aizen walked into the room, the publisher stood up, held out his large, beefy hand and said genially, "Well, well, well, my boy. A pleasure to finally make your acquaintance."

If there was one thing that set Aizen on edge more than anything, it was that he hated being patronized. Being called 'boy'…that was to put him in his place before negotiations even took place. To this man, Aizen was an unknown entity, someone he might find value in or not. And as it stood, Aizen's fate was entirely in this man's hands. One word from him, and no upstanding publisher would even deign to look at Aizen in the streets.

However, if there was one thing Aizen prided himself on more than anything, it was the fact that he had complete control over himself. Despite his seething temper and wounded pride, Aizen kept his expression polite with just a hint of hero worship. Even though this man had just taken a jab at his own ego, Aizen would find a way to stroke and bolster the other man's ego until the man's barrel chest began to swell.

Taking the man's proffered hand, Aizen said in an awed tone, "It is an honor…no a privilege, Mr. Barragan, to meet you at long last. Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity to meet with you as I'm sure your time is of great value."

After shaking Aizen's hand, waving a nonchalant invitation for Aizen to sit and sitting down himself, Mr. Barragan said shrewdly, "From what my assistant tells me, you've been trying to get in contact with me for quite some time, but he kept putting you off and you kept persisting…ah well, enough time to chew the fat later, eh? Let's have a look at the goods."

For a moment, Aizen was tempted to do something drastic like force Barragan to eat the sheet music or…he needed to keep his cool. Yes, Barragan had just insulted Aizen's music, which by extension was a way of insulting Aizen himself, but this was a test Aizen needed to pass. Once Barragan acknowledged his music, it would only be a matter of time before the rest of the music community would follow…and then all in good time, Aizen would gradually make Barragan sorry for insulting him in the beginning. But first things first, so Aizen carefully pulled his carefully copied music from his bag and handed it just as carefully across the desk. When Barragan carelessly snatched the papers away from Aizen, more thoughts of revenge began running through the latter's mind.

Indifferently flipping through the sheets of music, Barragan muttered incomprehensively to himself while Aizen sat in rapt attention, waiting for the verdict. After what seemed like an absolute age Barragan set the pages down in front of him, placed his elbows on the desk, enclosed one hand inside the other and looked thoughtfully at the music for another age.

Finally Barragan raised his eyes to meet Aizen's as he asked in a low rumble, "What is this?"

Before Aizen could respond, Barragan leaned back in his chair and gestured at the sheet music as he said, "What you've done here goes against every popular musical device used today. The lyrics don't talk about anything interesting like love, money or politics. For that matter, I can't even read what the lyrics are since they're not in French, Italian, English or Spanish."

In a calm tone, Aizen answered, "That's because the words are traditional Latin."

Giving Aizen an incredulous look, Barragan demanded, "What could have possibly possessed you to do that?! The only people nowadays who write music in Latin are decrepit priests and clergymen and that music is then sung in stuffy cathedrals and churches and on principal no one likes to listen to it!"

Knowing that Aizen was about to retort, Barragan waved it away as he continued, "Even if what I say isn't entirely accurate, the moment most common people, who have no real training in music, pick it up, that is exactly what will go through their minds and they will…not…buy…it," he put special emphasis on the last four words and even prodded the music with each one to get his point across.

Having prepared himself already for an attack of this kind, Aizen replied just as calmly as before, "What you say would be true in the beginning. Obviously, people cannot appreciate what they don't understand or haven't even heard."

Leaning forward slightly, Aizen went on in a voice with just a hint more intensity and conviction, "However, those same people who are not able to understand at first just how revolutionary this music is, are people who do things and follow trends simply because they are 'fashionable'."

Gently laying a hand on the pages of his work, Aizen said, "Market this correctly, and not only will music aficionados and professional musicians be snapping up copies to learn and try to imitate, but the high class people will also be trying to lay their hands on it and hire performers to play at their different parties because it would be something 'new' and 'fashionable'."

Leaning back in his chair, Aizen said musingly, "The thing with trends is that they give way to something more exciting in time. In those times there are those who are courageous enough to step out and try something no one has thought of before, and that gets them mocked at first, but then those same people who mocked them are then frantically trying to catch up and imitate the ones who have already set the trend."

Giving Barragan a small smile, Aizen finished with, "I am giving you a chance here to set a new trend with me. If we manage to pull this off…well, the possibilities are endless."

For a long time, Barragan said nothing and the only sound audible in the room was the crackling and popping sound of a large fire burning in the fireplace. Then, with a heave, Barragan stood up, picked up the music and inspected it again as he paced slowly around the room. As Aizen observed, sometimes Barragan's eyes would focus on the pages in front of him while at others, they seemed to look through them. After a time, he finally stopped and addressed Aizen, even though he didn't look at him.

"What you're saying makes sense. On the one hand, it would be a gamble since there's no guarantee that it would actually catch on and become popular. However, on the other hand, if there's one thing I've learned about business it's that you can only get so far in life and acquire so much wealth and success when you're not willing to take a few risks."

It was all Aizen could do to keep his face neutral as the words reached his ears. Inside his chest, his heart was rising higher and higher in elation and anticipation. Success was so close, he could almost taste it.

Now turning to look fully at Aizen, Barragan said with a growl, "On the other hand, I really don't like when upstart boys," he put special emphasis on the offensive, demeaning word as he sneered at Aizen, "try to tell me how to improve my business," and with that he spitefully tossed the music into the fireplace.

At first, Aizen couldn't believe what had just happened. Barragan was refusing his offer and on top of that he had…he had...

Out of the corner of his eye, Aizen saw a glass gas lamp sitting innocently on a side table next to the fireplace. On an impulse, fueled by his wildly raging emotions, Aizen suddenly found himself standing next to Barragan, gas lamp in his hand and breaking it over the man's head. Once Barragan was slightly dazed by the blow and soaked in the gasoline, before Aizen had a chance to regain his composure, he gave Barragan a mighty shove into the fireplace. Immediately the gas caught fire and it was only a split second later that Barragan's agonized screams began to echo about the room.

In an action Aizen would berate himself mercilessly for later as he reflected back on this incident, he bent down and clenched his fist in order to silence the man's screams by knocking Barragan unconscious. Just as he was drawing back his fist to strike, Barragan's hand somehow managed to grasp an entire fistful of coals. With his other hand, he gripped the back of Aizen's head to hold him in place as Barragan brutally rubbed the blazing embers on the right side of Aizen's face.

Now it was Aizen's turn to scream out in agony and he managed to wrench himself away from Barragan's grasp and fall writhing to the floor. He found the strength to regain his feet and stumble out of the office when the thought of getting caught and his sense of self-preservation kicked in.

Barragan's assistant had been in a different part of the publishing house when he heard the screams. When he arrived on the scene and saw the burnt remains of his employer's body, the assistant fainted from the sight and smell. The next morning, he barely managed to make it through the police's inquiry without passing out again as they pressed him for more specific details about the previous night's happenings. Luckily for Aizen, the assistant never even considered the possibility that the mild-mannered young man who had been Barragan's last appointment for the day could have possibly done something so horrendous to such a man as Barragan. Also, since Aizen's belongings had been left behind and the room looked as if there had been an attack, both the police and the assistant believed that whoever had murdered Barragan must have overpowered Aizen since he was a witness to the crime, taken him with them, killed him and dumped his body somewhere else. As such, the verdict was passed for Barragan as 'Murdered, by person or persons unknown' and Aizen was labelled as 'Missing, believed to be dead'.

Sosuke Aizen was never seen or heard from again…except by one person.

**Author's Note:**

Ok, I'm hoping I pulled this part off, especially with Aizen's character. He might be slightly out of character in some ways, mostly when he acts impulsively and does...all that with Barragan, but it had to be done.

If anyone has any questions or is rather concerned with what is going on or if you have ideas for things I can incorporate in later chapters, I'm all ears.

Thank you once again to everyone (especially **boho**, your comment yesterday really gave me the motivation to finish this chapter) who has been faithfully supporting me and telling me how much they are anticipating the next installment. You guys are the best.

P.S. I'm simply going to address this issue because of something that came up with someone who is reading the story over on dA, this is the one and only time Aizen will allow his emotions to control his actions and decisions.

Just a bit of background here in case people aren't familiar with the differences between the book, musical and movie versions of this story. In the musical and book, the Phantom had been deformed since birth. From my own knowledge and interpretation of the story, because obviously everyone around him was repulsed by him, he grew to believe that he was evil simply because of how he looked, not because of how he acted. So the ugliness of his face and the ugliness of how others treated him gradually shaped him into the person he became later on.

That scenario didn't really fit with Aizen, in my opinion, so I decided to go with the 1943 version where the Phantom character goes to a music publisher and is turned down. As he is about to walk away, he hears his music being played and believes that the publisher is trying to steal his music for himself (if you watch the movie you'll actually discover that is not the case) and so the Phantom flies into a fit of rage and tries to kill the publisher. As a result, his face is deformed when someone throws a pan of acid over him.

While I did tweak some things to fit it into how I thought Barragan would push Aizen's buttons just right, I figured the second scenario offered more promise than the first. For me, it fit with Aizen better because now he will have a physical reminder of just what can happen when one doesn't calmly and methodically work things out before acting. He will not act in such a rash manner again. He will be ruthless when it comes to fulfilling his plans, but he won't act impulsively in the moment.

Hope that makes sense, but you are welcome to voice your opinions or ask questions if anything I said doesn't make sense.


	7. Angel Comforted, Demon Awakening

Music of Angels and Demons

News of Aizen's supposed demise reached the opera house two days after the incident. Everyone was startled when three police officers made their way onto the stage in the middle of rehearsal looking grim.

The head officer nodded curtly to Maestro Otoribashi and said in his official tone, "Good afternoon, Sir. Apologies for interrupting, but I have an important announcement that must be shared. I can either speak privately with you and you can reveal whatever information you think to be relevant to your company, or I will speak freely here. Which would you prefer?"

Crossing his arms, the Maestro looked slightly less irritated as he replied, "Usually these kinds of matters are handled by our managers and then relayed to me if need be."

As if summoned by the Maestro's comment, Shunsui and Jyuushiro came bustling down the aisle while Shunsui said, "The Maestro is correct, officers. If there is some kind of issue with-"

The head officer cut the manager of curtly saying, "Since the matter involved one of your orchestra members, I judged that you would like to have first-hand knowledge of the matter."

This caused the Maestro to blink in bewilderment and he paused for a moment before asking, "Involves one of the orchestra members?" then his expression darkened considerably as he stated flatly, "If you have come here to tell me about how someone has acted after rehearsal or performance hours, then I really don't need to-"

Once again, the officer interrupted saying, "Since we all have pressing business to return to, I will cut to the chase. Sosuke Aizen has been officially declared 'Missing, believed to be dead' by the courts this morning after an extensive inquiry the past two days."

Turning to the group at large, the officer finished with, "While there has been an official ruling in the matter, since no hard evidence has been found as to Sosuke Aizen's whereabouts, if anyone has any information that might be pertinent to this case they can come to police headquarters to relay what they know."

The officer was about to take his leave when a soft voice asked, "What happened to Mr. Aizen?"

Looking down, the officer's eyes connected with a large pair of wide, sad gray eyes begging for answers. Imploring for the truth.

Just as the officer was about to open his mouth and answer, Byakuya stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Orihime, don't do this."

Tearing her eyes away from the officer's to look up into Byakuya's matching gray eyes and saying in a small voice, "Please…I need to know," before looking back at the officer and drawing the answer out of him with those magnetic eyes.

Before he could stop himself, the officer heard himself saying in a slightly less hardened tone, "Sosuke Aizen had a meeting with Barragan, the famous music publisher, on the night he was killed. All evidence seems to indicate that whoever was responsible for Barragan's murder…well, it doesn't look very promising."

For a moment or two, Orihime's expression didn't change as she kept her eyes locked with the officer's. Then, to the officer's surprise, she gave him a grateful smile and then turned to Byakuya and did the same to him.

Clearing his throat, Maestro Otoribashi said somberly, "Since we only had about a half hour left of rehearsal, let's call it a day and pick it back up tomorrow. Everyone is dismissed."

* * *

Before Orihime realized what had happened after the Maestro said those words, she found herself pushing open the door that led into the costume shop. Looking up, Orihime's eyes connected with Hisana's surprised blue-violet ones. Over next to the rack where the costumes were hanging was Uryu and he seemed to be doing some touch-up work on the embroidery of Neliel's bridal costume. In the back corner, Yuzu Kurosaki was sitting quietly and trying to match different colored fabrics with one another, but since she was sitting behind a rack of costumes, Yuzu could see Orihime, but not vice versa.

After getting over her initial surprise, Hisana stood up to wrap an arm around Orihime's shoulders as she asked, "Whatever is the matter, Dear? Are you feeling well? Should I take you home?"

Even though she allowed herself to be led to and sat in a chair, Orihime shook her head and said quickly, "No, no, nothing like that. Some police officers just came and told everyone…" her voice trailed off as she stared down at her fingers plucking absentmindedly at her skirt.

Laying a staying hand over Orihime's, Hisana asked calmly, "What did the officers tell everyone?"

A moment's hesitation before Orihime answered slowly, "They said that Mr. Aizen was missing and that they didn't think that…that…"

Despite the fact that Orihime didn't finish her statement, Hisana seemed to understand what the girl was struggling to say, so Hisana turned to the other two in the room and said briskly, "I think that will be all for today. The Maestro must have postponed rehearsals for today so we'll continue this tomorrow," then she wrapped her arm around Orihime's shoulders again and said soothingly, "Let's go find Byakuya and Rukia so that we can all go home."

Outside the costume shop, Orihime stopped, turned to Hisana and asked in a pleading tone, "Hisana…why?"

"Why what, Dear?"

At the question, Orihime's words were set free as she said frantically, "Why did that have to happen to Mr. Aizen? Why wasn't he able to escape? Why do I feel as if I've lost someone dear to me? Why can't I…cry…and why does it feel so painful that I can't?"

Pulling Orihime into a motherly embrace, Hisana rubbed her back and said softly, "Unfortunately, I don't know if we'll ever find out the answers to your first questions. Everyone in this life experiences good times and bad times at some point, so we have to learn to take comfort in the good times and find the strength to get through the bad times."

Taking a step back, Hisana looked at Orihime and said softly, "As for your feelings towards Mr. Aizen, I don't know if I fully understand what you're trying to say, but it sounds as though you and he shared some deep connection that hadn't fully developed yet. It doesn't happen often, but sometimes you can be acquainted with someone for years and never know the first thing about them, or you can meet someone a handful of times and connect with them on some level so that it seems as though you've always known them."

Cupping Orihime's face between her hands, Hisana said, "As for not being able to cry, tears are not the only sign of grief. However, just because you are not able to cry right this minute, doesn't mean tears won't come later. Right now, you're still coming to terms with what has happened, so it's kind of like your brain and heart are telling you two different things. Just because you are not crying, does not mean that you are being disrespectful to Mr. Aizen."

Reaching up to clasp Hisana's hands, Orihime gave her a small, grateful smile before starting and turning around when a voice behind her asked, "Excuse me, are you, by chance, Miss Orihime Inoue?"

In the hallway, one of the officers from earlier was standing and looking at Orihime with a somber face as she answered quietly, "Yes, I am she."

Reaching up to take off his hat, the officer stepped forward with an air bordering on remorse as he held out a stack of papers and said slowly, "These were found among Mr. Aizen's possessions. I'm guessing they were meant for you as your name…" his voice trailed off as Orihime took the papers and he took a step back as he said, "I'm sorry, but I must be going," before he turned and walked back down the hallway.

Looking down at the papers in her hands, the first thing Orihime noticed was the title. Or more accurately the handwriting in which the title was written. The script was elegant, but not overbearing, self-assured with just a hint of arrogance but not desperate for attention. Then there was the title itself: 'Canticum Angelum'. Simplistic and yet, in a sense, rather profound.

"'Song for an Angel'," said Orihime in a whisper, "What a pretty title. But why would this be for me…unless…"

Flipping past the title page, Orihime's eyes began scanning the music, which then translated into sound in her head. Even though she had never heard the music before, Orihime had sight-read enough music to have a basic idea of what it should sound like. Some in the opera house, like Maestro Otoribashi, Neliel, Kaname and Aizen had perfect pitch while others, like Rangiku, Gin and herself had very decent relative pitch.

The song had been written for voice, cello and organ, a rather odd combination when one first thought about it, but once Orihime thought about the three sounds together within the context of what the song's title was, it actually made perfect sense. The organ would be rich and resonant, taking the role of the piano or harpsichord in filling out the choral harmony, but the character of which would make one think of a large cathedral and so therefore automatically make the listener rather reverent in spirit. Then the cello, with its mellow, plaintive tone would bring an extra sense of humility to the ensemble. Lastly, when the voice came in, while the music would still be in a minor key, from the way it had been written, it seemed as though Aizen wanted the voice to try and uplift the melody.

As she continued to inspect the music, a thought suddenly popped into her head. She was sure she had heard something like this before. An accompaniment part setting a somber background. A cello coming in with a heart-rending melody before a swirling uplifting melody takes over and tries to overcome the solemnity. However, in the end, it is unsuccessful and that uplifting melody joins the cello in its melancholic tones until the end.

Then it hit her. This progression was almost exactly like the Pas de Deux from her favorite ballet, 'Swan Lake'. From the second act where Siegfried and Odette dance together for the first time. The longing, the passion, the beauty and the foreshadowing of the dance had captured Orihime's attention and heart the first time she saw it performed. Tchaikovsky had featured the harp, cello and violin in that Pas de Deux to great effect while allowing the signature oboe to pierce through at critical moments of the dance. Even though Aizen seemed to have been inspired by Tchaikovsky's music, since he was using similar elements to draw out the emotions and create four distinct divisions in the music, Orihime could see that 'Canticum Angelum' was of Aizen's own creation.

The next thing she noticed was that Aizen had written the vocal line in a range and key she was quite comfortable with, but would also challenge her in that there were several leaps that were bigger than an octave and other things of that nature. Her technique would have to be solid in order to make it sound beautiful and effortless. Aizen had tailored the song for her voice. It had been made for her.

When that realization hit her, in that moment the tears began to fall slowly and silently.

* * *

The moment Yuzu arrived home from the opera house, the first thing she did was seek out her brother. Throwing manners and decorum to the wind, Yuzu lifted up her skirts and walked briskly through the halls calling her brother's name as loud as she dared. As might be expected in such situations, everyone but the person Yuzu was trying to find answered her summons.

First came Ryuuken, with polishing gloves over his hands, which he quickly set aside as he asked in his best butler voice, "Is there anything you require, Miss Yuzu?"

Slowing her pace and then stopping in front of Ryuuken, Yuzu said quickly, "I'm looking for my brother. Do you happen to know where he might be?"

Adjusting his glasses, Ryuuken replied promptly, "I believe the young master went out to take care of some business," when Yuzu's face fell, Ryuuken added, "However, if I'm not mistaken, he left some time ago, so I would assume he will come back very shortly."

Playing nervously with her fingers, Yuzu said almost to herself, "That's no good. If he doesn't leave soon then…"

"Then what?"

Turning around, Yuzu's eyes locked with her twin's and she said helplessly, "Oh Karin! Ichigo needs to come home right away!"

Giving her younger sister an indulgent smile, Karin said soothingly, "Take a few deep breaths, Yuzu. Try to relax. There you go. Now, let's start from the beginning, shall we? Why is it so important that Ichigo comes home and then leave again?"

Just as Yuzu was about to answer Karin's question, she jumped as the sound of Isshin's heavy, running gait sounded from behind her and he called to her, "I'm here, Yuzu! Don't worry! Daddy's here and will fix everything! Just leave it to-Oops!"

As he came barreling down the hallway, Isshin managed to catch his foot on the side of a table which was holding a large, ornate vase. The next moment, all three were falling towards the floor and Ryuuken sprang forward in a flash. Snatching the vase between his hands, Ryuuken then used his left foot to prevent the table from hitting the floor, which only left Isshin to do a face-plant into the carpet.

While Yuzu went to Isshin to check him for injuries, Karin walked over to relieve Ryuuken's foot of the table as she said drolly, "Nice catch, Ryuuken."

Putting the vase back on the upright table, Ryuuken replied, "Thank you, Miss Karin. Couldn't risk losing this 17th century piece."

From his place on the floor, Isshin had been content for a few moments to allow Yuzu to fuss over him, but at Ryuuken's comment, he demanded in a hurt tone, "You couldn't risk losing the vase or table?! What about my nose? I think it's broken!"

Looking down at his pouting master, Ryuuken said coolly, "Broken noses mend with time and you will be good as new. However, no amount of glue or plaster could possibly enhance this vase or table's value or appeal if they happened to break."

With a scowl that wasn't nearly as impressive as his son's, Isshin pouted, "But what if my nose ends up crooked or something?"

While it wasn't easy, Karin kept her voice even as she answered, "Well, then you be even more eye-catching at parties than you already are. You could even come up with some sort of story to impress the ladies."

This idea seemed to hold great appeal for Isshin as his expression instantly transformed and became thoughtfully sly and crafty as he said, "Might make the ladies notice me more, eh? Hmmm…not a bad idea."

"What is going on?"

Everyone turned around at the sound of Ichigo's voice. He obviously had just arrived home since he was still holding his hat in his hand.

Seeing the person she needed to speak to, Yuzu clambered up from her spot next to Isshin (nearly knocking his still sore nose in the process…it was not broken) and hurried over to him saying, "Thank goodness you're home! Quick! You have to leave right now!"

Initially shocked at his youngest sister's declaration, Ichigo looked over his shoulder to give Karin and Ryuuken a questioning gaze. When Karin only gave him a bewildered shrug and Ryuuken adjusted his glasses, Ichigo sighed inwardly and reached down to still Yuzu's clutching hands as she tried to turn him around and force him back towards the front door.

"Hold on a minute, Yuzu. Would you mind telling me exactly where you think I need to be right now?"

Still attempting to push Ichigo's much larger frame, Yuzu looked up at him and said hastily, "To the Kuchiki's of course! You need to go and see Orihime right now!"

Immediately, Ichigo bent over to grasp Yuzu's shoulders and look into her eyes intensely as he asked, "What do you mean? Did something happen to her?"

"Yes! I mean…no, not exactly…I mean…"

Squeezing Yuzu's shoulders gently, Ichigo tried again, "Yuzu, if you want me to help Orihime, I need to know what's going on. What happened? Take a deep breath and tell me."

Closing her eyes and doing what Ichigo said, Yuzu opened her eyes and said in a more controlled voice, "I don't know exactly what happened, but Orihime came into the costume shop really early and looked rather dazed. She started saying something about a Mr. Aizen and how he was missing and then Mrs. Kuchiki told Uryu and I to go home since rehearsal must have been ended early.

"As I was collecting my things, I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I heard Orihime asking Mrs. Kuchiki about not being able to cry and other things. All I know for sure is that she sounded really upset."

A moment later, Ichigo felt a large hand on his shoulder and looked over to see his father looking at him with a completely serious expression as he said, "You should go over there, Ichigo. Maybe you won't be able to help at all, but then again you may be just the person Orihime needs right now."

Giving Isshin a curt nod, Ichigo gave Yuzu's shoulders a final squeeze before he turned and walked briskly down the hallway and out the front door. Luck seemed to be on his side as the moment he stepped out onto the sidewalk, an available hansom was just heading down the street, so Ichigo hailed it, gave the driver the Kuchiki address and climbed in. Even if someone else had gone with him, it was doubtful that Ichigo would have said much as he was too focused on trying to plan out what he was going to say and do when he got to the Kuchiki residence to notice anything else. When the hansom pulled up to his destination, Ichigo barely took enough time to pay the cabby and give him a curt nod of thanks before walking rapidly up the drive and knocking on the front door.

Ichigo was rather taken aback at first but immensely relieved when Hisana opened the door and said in a pleasantly surprised voice, "Why Viscount Kurosaki!"

Taking off his hat and saying in his most polite voice, Ichigo said, "Good afternoon, Mrs. Kuchiki. I apologize for coming by unannounced, but Yuzu came home and told me that Orihime had received some rather disturbing news."

Hisana's eyes warmed considerably as she opened the door wider to allow Ichigo in as she said matter-of-factly, "And you came by to see if there was anything you could do," at Ichigo's rather embarrassed nod, Hisana went on as she closed the door, "That was extremely kind and thoughtful of you."

Relieving Ichigo of his hat and gloves, Hisana said somberly, "When we came home, Orihime went straight into the parlour where the piano is. Apparently, Mr. Aizen wrote some music just for her and she has either been looking wistfully at the music or absentmindedly plunking out the melody while humming along."

Turning to look Ichigo full in the face, Hisana said seriously, "Before you go in and meet her, I think you should know that Orihime is extremely confused right now and not really sure how to handle things."

Nodding his head slowly, Ichigo asked, "All right, but can you tell me a little more about what happened?"

Gesturing for him to follow her, Hisana led him down the hallway as she answered, "After Orihime shut herself in the parlour, I pulled my husband and Rukia aside to ask them that question. It seems as though several police officers came to tell the Maestro that Mr. Aizen was missing and presumed dead by the authorities. Also, from what I heard, Orihime was the one who approached the officers to press them for more information."

Ichigo followed Hisana into a large-sized kitchen and she began arranging a tea tray as she continued, "When Orihime came to me in the costume shop, I could see that she had had a great shock. She hadn't known Mr. Aizen for very long. If I remember correctly, she officially met him on the same night you two became reacquainted with one another.

"However, even though she has known him a very short time, my intuition is telling me that they connected to each other on a very deep level. It probably has something to do with the fact that they are both musicians and artists."

Blinking in surprise, Ichigo asked, "What does that have to do with anything?"

Glancing up briefly from the dainty dishes she was arranging, Hisana responded with a question of her own, "Viscount, what separates the good artists from the great ones?"

As might be expected, the question took Ichigo by surprise for a moment before he answered in a musing, rather unsure tone, "Well, I would imagine good artists could be considered amateurs or aficionados, while great artists are ones in the professional arena."

Giving Ichigo an indulgent smile, Hisana replied, "I suppose that could be one way of looking at it. However, I was thinking more along the lines of how one goes from being someone popular to a household name or even a renowned genius from age to age. A person someone refers to or studies in depth like J.S. Bach or Monteverdi or Beethoven. What separates them from all the others of their time?"

Ichigo answered honestly, "I have no idea."

Nodding in appreciation at Ichigo's simple, honest answer, Hisana said, "To be honest, in some ways I don't know what sets these men apart from others of their age. Why we have come to see them as geniuses, especially when in most cases they were referred to as such until after their deaths.

"However, I can't think of one person who has become a household name and a person of whom almost every holds a high degree of respect who was or is extremely devoted to their craft. Who also usually had a deep love and respect, most of the time, for what they did."

Gesturing to her beautifully painted tea set, Hisana said, "When it comes to the arts, what sets it apart from most other careers is that, in a lot of cases, the final product shows a part of their creator."

Sensing Ichigo's confusion, Hisana looked up and said kindly, "Take what my husband does, for example. He is an opera singer who, every couple of months or so, has to take on a character in whatever opera is being performed at the time. On the surface, that might not seem like a strenuous job, but if one digs deeper, the challenge begins to present itself."

Counting off on her fingers, Hisana said, "In our last opera, Byakuya played the part of Figaro. Before that he has played minor parts, been a part of the chorus, played a villain several times, taken on supporting roles and so on."

Turning around to adjust the kettle on the stove, Hisana went on, "While I am somewhat biased in my opinion, I would say without hesitation that Byakuya is one of the best singers and actors the Royal Opera Theater has in the male section. He works hard so that he pretty much has his entire part memorized by the second rehearsal, if not the first. When he begins preparing for a role, one of the first things he does is find some kind of connection with the character that he can really draw upon and use in order to become that character."

With a small smile, Hisana said, "You obviously have seen what Byakuya is like both on stage and off and I'm sure you agree with me when I say that in some ways you'd be hard pressed to identify him as the same man," at Ichigo's hesitant nod, she continued, "However, the fact remains that when Byakuya steps out on that stage, the audience is unwittingly fortunate enough to be able to see a glimpse of my husband's character. A little piece of himself on display."

Giving Ichigo a knowing look, Hisana said teasingly, "I am getting to the point, I promise."

Pulling the kettle off the stove and beginning to brew the tea, Hisana said, "Orihime is different from Byakuya in one key area. She is always completely honest and open about her thoughts and emotions on and off the stage. She is also very attuned to the thoughts and emotions of others no matter how deep they try to bury it."

Going over to the pantry and arranging some treats on a platter, Hisana went on, "Mr. Aizen was a phenomenal cello player and so just like with Byakuya and Orihime and all the others, when he played, we all were treated to a little piece of what he was truly like. So, even before they had officially met, Mr. Aizen and Orihime had already connected with each other on some level."

Putting the finishing touches on the tea tray, Hisana said seriously, "Obviously, these are just my thoughts and impressions, so they might sound somewhat idealistic or too good to be true," pausing to look Ichigo straight in the eye, she said seriously, "But I would suggest you think about what I've just said as you carry this tea tray to the parlour."

Automatically followed the implied direction, Ichigo picked up the tea tray and began following Hisana out of the kitchen before he fully understood what he was doing. Then, before he had time to fully understand what he was doing, Hisana had opened a door, stepped aside to let him through and then closed the door behind him. For a moment, all he could do was stare at the closed door, rather dazed and not quite sure what to do next when he heard a soft, surprised gasp from behind him. Turning around rather too quickly and almost upsetting the tea tray, Ichigo's eyes connected with Orihime's wide gray ones.

The next instant, Orihime's face flushed violently as she spun around so that her back was towards Ichigo as she stammered, "Oh my…oh my…I-I-I wasn't exp-p-pecting anyone…"

Even though her back was facing him, Ichigo had seen that attitude several times in Orihime's case. True, it had been years since he had last seen it so he had nearly forgotten, but the memories of exactly what she had been trying to do came rushing back. Even if he hadn't seen Orihime do this before, since he had seen Yuzu do it several times when she was extremely upset, it wouldn't have taken much for him to figure out exactly what Orihime was up to. And even still, if the previous two factors weren't enough, he'd have to be completely blind and/or heartless not to notice the wet tracks tracing down Orihime's cheeks or her slightly bloodshot eyes.

As such, Ichigo immediately, and rather distractedly, set down the tea tray and walked over to stand in front of Orihime. Obviously, she hadn't been expecting such a maneuver since when she removed her hands from her face, Orihime jumped and gasped once again. Knowing what was about to come next, Ichigo quickly entrapped her hands with his own and waited for her to look up at him.

With two words, Ichigo was able to completely break down Orihime's defenses.

"Tell me."

Despite the fact that there was no polite terminology used in the statement such as 'please' , Orihime understood that Ichigo was not commanding or forcing her to do what he wanted. He was asking that she open up her heart to him so that he might help unburden it of its grief.

The first thing she did upon coming to this realization was to stop trying to hold back the tears, lean forward and wrap her arms around his neck. She didn't sob, sniffle, cry out or make any sound other than every once in a while taking in a shaky breath. For Ichigo's part, rather than speak comforting nonsense into her ear, rubbing her back or her hair, Ichigo simply held her. Unconsciously, he was playing the part of the steady rock on which Orihime could cling to as her tears continued to flow.

* * *

From outside the room, Byakuya stood observing the tableau in front of him with a stoic face. Whatever misgivings he might have had in the beginning about Ichigo, his upbringing, his character, his position in society or his intentions towards Orihime were almost completely nullified as Byakuya saw what the boy felt towards her. No, correction. What the young man felt towards Byakuya's young lady ward.

Ever since the evening spent at the Kurosaki home, Byakuya had been wrestling within himself and trying to come to terms with something almost everyone around him seemed to recognize already. Rukia and Orihime were growing up. If he were to think very carefully back to when the only people who held any significance in his life were his co-workers at the opera house (and even then, he wasn't one to really go out of his way to establish warm relationships), Byakuya could vaguely remember a sense of loneliness, but for the most part one couldn't miss what one had never known.

Byakuya had been raised from the age of six by his grandfather after his parents had drowned on a ship heading overseas. His family were not affectionate people and he learned from a young age to keep his emotions well hidden so as to give the rest of the world a high opinion of the Kuchiki family and their reputation. When he was seventeen, his grandfather had passed away, Byakuya felt slightly more remorse over his death as he had known him longer than his parents, but even then he hadn't openly cried at the funeral.

Then, a year later, Hisana had come into his life and everything had changed. Her glowing smiles and infectious laughter, little by little, began to draw Byakuya out from behind his stoic walls. Little Rukia had been a wide-eyed, bubbly toddler still getting used to walking and talking at the same time when Byakuya had taken Hisana home as his wife. It had not taken long at all for the violet-eyed child to make a home with Byakuya in the real world and in his heart.

For years, the three of them had become closer as a family, with Byakuya patiently teaching Rukia how to play the piano, arranging for her to have dance lessons with the opera house's dance instructor and choreographer, Yoruichi Shihoin, and gradually helping her to prepare for working as a part of the chorus.

And then, seemingly out of nowhere, Orihime had integrated herself into their lives. In some ways, Rukia was much like Byakuya in that while she was inside the home she would be more expressive and carefree in nature. However, once she stepped foot outside, professionalism took over. The Kuchiki pride needed to be upheld. Once Orihime had become something of an adopted sister, a little bit at a time, Byakuya noticed Rukia's professional demeanor lessen significantly outside the home when she was around Orihime. While Rukia was by no means unfriendly or impolite to others before, with Orihime's kind and open-hearted influence, Byakuya saw former acquaintances such as Uryu, Chad and Renji become devoted friends. While he would never admit to it, he was immensely pleased with both of his young charges. They certainly had become beautiful young women, inside and out.

With these realizations, Byakuya came to the conclusion that he would be completely content if they never found a reason to go off and marry some man. He would gladly spend the rest of his days taking care of his wife and their two 'daughters' if he had the choice. However, looking at the scene in front of him, Byakuya could only resign himself to the idea that such might not be the case.

When and if the time ever came when Viscount Ichigo Kurosaki came to ask Byakuya for Orihime's hand, Byakuya would give his consent. While he couldn't be positive, Orihime did seem to care for the young man, maybe even love him. As for Ichigo, Byakuya had to admit that all of his possible objections to the match just wouldn't hold up logically anymore.

Hearing a soft sound of someone clearing their throat, Byakuya turned to see Hisana standing a few feet away from him. From the look on her face, she understood exactly what had been going on through Byakuya's mind. That was one of the many things he loved dearly about Hisana. While she did thrive on talking and communicating with others, she understood that Byakuya didn't always know how to express himself through words and so had learned to read his face and body language quite adeptly.

Walking over to take Byakuya's hand in hers, Hisana gave him a smile that said 'Let's leave them alone for now' before leading him down the hallway. When they were a good distance away from the room, Byakuya stopped and pulled Hisana towards him. Hisana was only given enough time to briefly flash him a knowing smile, before he covered her lips with his own. As Hisana's small, warm hands came up to gently cup his face, Byakuya came to another realization.

What if Orihime was to Ichigo what Hisana was to him? He couldn't imagine his life without Hisana anymore and he could only imagine what he might have had to go through if he had had to deal with Hisana's father. If Hisana's father had been alive, Byakuya could only imagine the kind of grief he might have given Byakuya for seeking Hisana's hand in marriage. However, Byakuya couldn't imagine any kind of deterrent that could have possibly forced Byakuya to give up taking Hisana as his wife.

With that in mind, as Byakuya deepened the kiss, he felt slightly less uncertain about the idea of Orihime and Rukia getting married. That didn't mean that he was going to give Ichigo or any other man his consent right away. The idea of making them squirm for a little while was just the little bit of revenge and power he would allow himself to have over them.

* * *

While he had never really given much thought to light and dark before, at this point, Aizen was grateful for the inky blackness surrounding him. Since he was young, Aizen had been able to maneuver easily without the aid of a candle or other light and this ability was what was keeping him alive right now as he navigated the sewers beneath the city.

After escaping from Barragan's house, Aizen had stumbled down the street blindly for a time, clutching his face before stopping, furiously swiping away the tears of pain from his left eye and trying to take stock of his surroundings. Somehow, he had managed not to attract anyone's attention on the abandoned streets, but if he didn't stop and think things through, that luck wouldn't hold. Looking around, he had seen that he was close to a river and so made his way down the embankment so that he could dip his handkerchief in the water and bath his burnt face. It wasn't ideal, but it would have to do for the moment.

The water had helped to clear his head enough to allow Aizen to mentally list what he needed to accomplish in the next hour or so. First, he needed to clean his wound and apply some sort of salve. Second, he needed to find somewhere to hide for the time being…maybe for longer than that. Aizen had shoved the last thought towards the back of his mind. No time to get depressed.

Apparently, his luck had still been holding out as when he had raised his good left eye, an apothecary's sign had caught his attention. When he got there, he knocked on the door before he had a chance to realize what he was doing. The door was opened by an old, wizened and, as Lady Luck would have it, almost entirely blind.

A high, whiny voice had wheezed out, "Yes? What do you want?"

Putting a little gravel into his tone in an attempt to disguise it, Aizen had said pleadingly, "Please sir! My little girl fell into our fire and has burned her little face and hand! My wife is at home tending to her, but we need something to put on it! Please, please help me!"

The old man had obviously heard hundreds, if not thousands, of similar entreaties as his whiny voice replied almost callously, "Got money with you?"

Reaching into his pocket, Aizen had pulled out several coins and pushed them half in-character half in a realistic show of his painful desperation into the knobby hand as he said, "Here!"

As soon as the money had been placed in his possession, it didn't really surprise Aizen that he took the time to count it first before he said almost slyly, "You must really love your little girl," and then he had turned to hobble into his shop as he called, "Fortunately for you, I have just the stuff ready-made. You won't have to wait for me to mix it up."

Once the salve had been placed in his hands, it hadn't been too much longer before Aizen's footsteps went back towards the river. It had been then that the answer to the second item on his list had come to him. He would go into the sewers.

And so now, here he was, going down a narrow walkway inside the sewers and trying to think of what he was going to do next. His plans for getting his music to be publically recognized and acclaimed were now useless. Time to come up with a new plan. And if there was one thing Aizen had right now besides the clothes on his back, a few remaining coins in his pocket and a small container of burn salve, it was loads and loads of time.

As he continued to walk, Aizen had no way of knowing that both literally and figuratively, each step he took was drawing him further and further into darkness. They say that the path down to Hell is slow and easy and Aizen's path right now had no obstacles to deter him.

**Author's Note:**

This...took...forever...Well, then again, maybe not since I got it out so much sooner than the others. It just seemed long when I looked at how many words I had in this section, my jaw just dropped. So hope you like the length guys! May or may not happen with the next ones!

Anyway, few things here. Seems like I did a lot of jumping back and forth in here between past and present. If I didn't do a good job of moving from one to the other, let me know and I'll see if'n I can't fix it.

There wasn't much here terminology wise, but just to be on the safe side, I'll put some explanations in here at the end:

Perfect pitch is where someone can hear a note on any instrument or sung by any voice and know exactly which note it is. So, for example, if a person played a high G on a violin, the person would say that they were playing a 'G'. Many people believe that Mozart had perfect pitch, but he also had an amazing memory, if certain stories are correct. I believe I heard once that Mozart went to a service to listen to a piece of music no one had ever written down on paper and after just one listening, was able to go home and completely writen down the entire piece from memory note for note. If memory serves, he also went further as to 'improve upon' the piece, which means to tweak the harmonies arrangements and such. That is one of the many reasons we refer to Mozart as a 'musical genius'. At this point, I've never confirmed the legitimacy of the story myself, but if someone does and lets me know whether I got it rather right, sort of right, or so off the mark it's embarrassing, I'm good with that.

Relative pitch is where you can listen to music and know what intervals/harmonic progressions are being played, but you wouldn't be able to really specify. I have relative pitch to a certain degree in that I'm pretty good at identifying 'A's since I use it all the time to tune my violin and can usually remember what it should sound like when I'm tuning without using a tuner.

If you'd like to look up the Pas de Deux I was referring to, you can go to YouTube and type in 'pas de deux act 2 swan lake' or something like that and you should be able to find it. If not, you can message me or something and ask and I'd be happy to try and give you better details.

Hope you guys enjoyed this part!


	8. Angel: Rediscovering Heaven

"Miss Neliel! Your character is supposed to be losing her mind, but not her balance. The last thing we need is for you to topple headfirst into the orchestra pit. And Mr. Kuchiki! You need to focus a little more. Miss Neliel is supposed to be your younger sister and she is going mad before your eyes."

"Yes Maestro," Byakuya replied stoically.

Clapping his hands, Maestro Otoribashi raised his voice, called for quiet on stage, waited for all actors, set designers and everyone else within ear shot to stand in silence before he said, "As you are all aware, we are less than two weeks away from opening night, so I expect that all rough patches will be smoothed out and perfected before this week is out."

Setting down his baton, the maestro went on, "I am also conscious of the fact that we as a group were dealt a difficult blow through the loss of our principal cellist. However, unless we are all willing to accept a serious dock of pay, we must keep pressing forward and perform on opening night as if the only tragedy in our lives is the one being played out on stage."

Pausing for a moment to clear his throat, Maestro Otoribashi said in a slightly louder tone, "All things considered, under normal circumstances, it would be well-nigh impossible to find someone of Mr. Aizen's talent on such short notice, but as it happens, I have been able to do just that.

"Normally, we would go through an audition process, but as I said this is an unusual case, I decided to have a kind of open audition for the candidate I have chosen. Officially, this player has not been hired by the opera theater until approval is given not only by our managers, but also the orchestra and singers."

The maestro waited for a moment while several voices murmured over this development before he explained, "While we are in dire need of a principal cellist, if the player I have asked to come and audition for you all is not a perfect fit, then it would be better for us to perform minus one cello."

Turning to look out into the dark audience seating, the maestro nodded in satisfaction as he said, "The player is ready to perform. He requested to be allowed to play from the mezzanine seats so that it would be something of a blind audition. So please make yourselves comfortable for a few minutes and think critically about whether you think he would fit in our ensemble."

Maestro Otoribashi then called over to Kaname Tousen, who was sitting by the upright piano on stage (in case he was needed to play in order to help the singers remember their parts), "You may begin, Kaname."

Nodding curtly in acknowledgment, Kaname adjusted himself on his bench, expertly placed his hands on the keys and began to play.

* * *

Even though Orihime had been feeling much better after her good, long cry on Ichigo's shoulder, it was still difficult at times for her to come to terms with the fact that Aizen was gone. During rehearsal, Orihime would sing along with the others at all the right times and was on her mark precisely when she was supposed to be so that her performance was technically flawless. Not that she had much to think or do in this production since she was only a part of the chorus. Still, everyone who was close to her could plainly see that the young woman's heart was not in her performance.

As the maestro had been talking, Orihime had only been half listening to what he was talking about. She perked up a little more as soon as she heard Aizen's name, but even still, her mind wandered soon after that so that she only had a vague idea of what was about to happen. Her inattention was due to the fact that Orihime had Aizen's 'Canticum Angelum' out of her mind. There was a part in the middle that had been giving her some trouble since she always wanted to sing it one way, but when she played it on the piano, it was slightly different then how she was singing it.

Once Kaname began stroking the piano's keys in soft, lyrical arpeggios, Orihime became a little more focused. However, when the sustained note of a cello, followed by its own arpeggio reached her ears, Orihime immediately snapped out of her own reverie and was completely absorbed in the tantalizing, nostalgic and borderline haunting melody surrounding her. Only haunting in the sense that the melody was enchantingly evocative.

The cellist played with such expressive beauty and passion that Orihime felt her heart and soul rise and fall with each swell and dip of the notes. She also felt herself become extremely agitated when the cellist dug deep into the strings in order to add more grit to the sound. Then, as the melody returned to its original state, Orihime felt her muscles automatically relax as well.

Closing her eyes, Orihime allowed herself to savor each note of the recapitulation. Those around Orihime, if they themselves were not completely smitten by the cello's spell, noticed that as the melody would rise and fall, Orihime instinctively raised herself up on her toes and came back down to sway back on her heels. If any of them had not known Orihime very well, they might have become concerned for the young woman or have been completely thrown off by her erratic behavior. However, they were used to Orihime's sometimes unorthodox mannerisms and knew that she was completely immersed in as well as thoroughly enjoying the cellist's performance.

As the final chord faded from the piano and the cello's last harmonic note tapered off, an audience of musicians and peers allowed themselves the pleasure of savoring those notes before allowing the musical spell to be broken.

Rather reluctantly, Maestro Otoribashi broke that silence by asking in a quiet but resonant tone, "Well? All in favor?"

All hands rose as one.

* * *

Ever since Ichigo had gone to the Kuchiki residence in order to help comfort Orihime, he had taken to popping up at the opera house nearly every day. He always had some excuse or reason that wouldn't arouse anyone's suspicions as to his real purpose…at least he thought his excuses and reasons were fooling everyone (which they weren't), but he always managed to spend at least a minute or two in Orihime's company.

He had arrived backstage about halfway through the mysterious cellist's 'audition'. While he was somewhat impressed by what he heard, when Ichigo's eyes landed on a young, feminine figure with long, caramel hair, he became far more entranced watching her falling under the cellist's spell. Seeing her intuitively mirror the swells, dips, pauses and stretches of the music made him feel just a bit like he had when he had heard her sing that duet with Byakuya.

In the back of his mind, it once again occurred to Ichigo that under normal circumstances Orihime was beautiful and stunning to behold. However, when music came into the picture, she became a being who could not be constrained by this world and its rules. She was transcendent. An angel of music.

The next moment, Ichigo blinked and began rethinking what had just crossed his mind. What was getting into him? He'd never thought this way before about anyone…well, maybe his mother, but certainly not anyone else.

With a jolt, it suddenly occurred to Ichigo what might be going on. Was he becoming like his…like his father?

Ever since Ichigo could remember, Isshin had been a nutcase. His father was insane asylum material according to Ichigo, but apparently doctors didn't agree with him. Isshin was perfectly sane, just a little eccentric at times. Fine and dandy coming from someone who didn't have to live with the man.

Isshin was the source of Ichigo's most embarrassing moments both within the privacy of home as well as out in public. Putting aside the weird faces and 'loving attacks', what drove Ichigo up the wall more than anything was how Isshin talked about Masaki. From the way Isshin would refer to her as 'the sun who gave me light, hope and life' or, even worse, 'the better half of my heart', one would think Isshin's entire personal world revolved around her. Sure, spouses were supposed to honor and respect one another and maybe even love them, but was true love really so…embarrassing? Would it really turn him into an idiot like his father?

Mentally shaking himself, Ichigo told himself that he was being ridiculous. He wasn't in love with Orihime. He was just really impressed with her musical talents and he enjoyed being in her company and he didn't mind looking out for her and he felt better when he was sure she was safe at all times and she was really beautiful and…ok, maybe he would have to revisit this topic when he wasn't around Orihime and he could think rationally.

The next moment, Ichigo's mind went blank as Orihime had turned around and locked eyes with him. Her soft, grey eyes widened in surprise before a spark of pleasure lit them up. While Ichigo could still sense a hint of melancholy in those expressive ocular windows, he was slightly relieved to see that Orihime was on the mend. He still didn't fully understand the kind of connection Orihime had shared with Aizen, but he knew that he would be willing to wait until she was fully healed before he…wait a minute! Willing to wait for what? Was he back on that whole line of thought again?!

Ichigo was snapped out of his incredulous thoughts as Orihime walked up to him and said in an enraptured, awed tone, "That was absolutely amazing! Since he was sitting in the mezzanine, it was almost as if…as if…as if it was music from heaven!"

It was all Ichigo could do to try and keep his blood pressure under control so that his face wouldn't turn crimson as he said evenly, "Yes, I suppose so. It was certainly unorthodox."

Turning back to look at the empty audience seats, Orihime said almost to herself, "I wonder who the person is. To play with such feeling and beauty, they must be an amazing person."

Something in Orihime's tone made Ichigo just a little bit defensive as he said, "Well, not all amazing people are musicians. There are plenty of people who may not be able to perform music as well as this person, but who appreciate it just as much as you do."

At Ichigo's words, Orihime's gaze once again fixed on his with the same wide-eyed expression as before. Clearly, his words made no sense to her and once he took a second to think over what had just come out of his mouth, Ichigo couldn't make heads or tails of it either. Good gracious, he was becoming more pathetic than his father. At least Isshin made a miniscule amount of sense in the middle of his ravings.

He had no time to mentally berate himself any further as Orihime said quickly, "Oh, of course there are wonderful people in the world who are not musicians. There are people like Charles Dickens, who wrote some of my favorite stories, or Queen Elizabeth, who was such a strong and amazing woman for her time, or-"

Before he had time to think, Ichigo looked down and saw that he had stretched out a hand and stilled Orihime's lips with his fingers. Lifting his gaze, Ichigo saw that Orihime's eyes were completely blank in shock at first, but as they regained their focus he saw with relief that she didn't seem to be angry or upset at his impulsive action.

Just as he was about to say something, a loud voice called out from behind him, "Hey! Just what do you think you're doing?"

Snapping his head around so quickly Ichigo was sure his neck cracked, he saw a young man about his own age, with long, deep red hair and about half a head taller striding in their direction. Behind the red head strode an even bigger guy with shaggy brown hair. Ichigo was sure he had seen them around the opera house before and he was fairly certain that Shunsui and Jyuushiro had told him their names, but at the moment Ichigo was drawing a blank as to who they were and what they did.

Next thing he knew, Orihime had stepped in front of him and said with a nervous giggle, "Oh Renji! Chad! I didn't see you guys over there!"

Ignoring Orihime's obvious attempt to intervene, Renji crossed his arms and looked down his nose at Ichigo, asking in an unfathomable tone, "Just what are you doing?"

Hackles rising at this guy Renji's demeanor, way of talking to him and especially what was implied in that statement, Ichigo retorted tersely, "Just what are you trying to say?"

Quirking an eyebrow, Renji shrugged his shoulders and said, "Just trying to make sure everything's all right over here."

Narrowing his eyes and flexing his fingers, Ichigo replied curtly, "Yeah, well I'm just talking with Orihime over here."

Renji's eyes widened slightly as he said in a half mock half genuine impressed one, "'Orihime', eh? On a first name basis, I see."

In a tone that was only a step or two above a growl, Ichigo asked, "And just what's so strange about that?"

Shrugging his shoulders a second time, Renji replied evenly, "Nothing per se…" he let the sentence hang in the air for a moment before opening his mouth to say something else, when suddenly his face contorted painfully and he cried, "Ow! Rukia?! What gives?"

Stepping out from behind Renji's towering figure, Rukia said reproachfully, "Quit acting like an idiot."

Massaging his shin, Renji scowled at Rukia and retorted, "Hey, I'm just trying to make sure he's," he gave a curt nod in Ichigo's direction to add emphasis to the word, "on the up and up. But fine, I'll leave the two of them alone from here on out and never bother them again."

Placing her fists on her hips, Rukia replied in a bossy voice, "First of all, your last sentence was redundant. Of course you won't be able to bother them if you plan on leaving them alone. And secondly, don't you think that if Brother had thought Ichigo wasn't good enough for Orihime that he would have sent him packing long before now? He's been showing up here for days to see Orihime and Brother has never once acted like you just were."

Leaning down until he was eye-level with Rukia, Renji snapped back, "Just because your amazing brother hasn't done anything about this rich kid yet, doesn't mean that he's on the up and up!"

Pointing an accusing finger at Ichigo, Renji went on furiously, "He could have hoodwinked Byakuya so that your brother would have to take his side and allow Orihime to marry him! Or maybe he used blackmail!"

Rukia stared at Renji in stupefied amazement for a moment or two before she rolled her eyes dramatically and said, "You, Renji, have come up with some pretty ridiculous theories in the past when you speak before you think, but this has got to be the absolute worst theory you have ever come up with."

Ever since Renji and Ichigo had been bickering, Orihime had begun wringing her hands and shifting nervously from foot to foot. Every so often, she would also bounce on the balls of her feet as if she were about ready to throw herself into the fray in order to stop the argument.

When she saw Renji's face really darken at Rukia last remark, Orihime braced herself once more to spring forward, but instead jumped straight up in alarm and let out a startled squeak as a voice suddenly came from behind her.

"Move."

Spinning around to see who the speaker was, Orihime didn't notice that Ichigo, Rukia, Renji and Chad all looked over at Orihime. Ichigo, who had detached himself from Orihime's side in order to stand toe to toe with Renji, shifted on his feet as if he were trying to decide whether or not to return to his original position.

For Orihime's part, her attention was arrested by a pair of beautiful emerald eyes as she tried to ask politely, "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

Those emerald eyes didn't blink or show any emotion as a monotone voice explained, "You're blocking my way. Move."

Face flushing, Orihime rubbed the back of her head and said nervously, "Oh, I'm sorry about that. I didn't realize you were behind me. Please forgive me."

Noticing the size and shape of the instrument case he was carrying in his right hand, Orihime's eyes widened in excitement as she asked, "Are you the one who just played that amazing and beautiful audition? Oh, you must be since I've never seen you before. Let me introduce myself. My name is-"

"Woman."

While there was no inflection of his voice, the way the young man said the single word almost gave Orihime the impression that she had just been slapped across the face so her voice stopped abruptly.

Still without blinking or taking his eyes from Orihime's, the young man said without emotion, "I do not have time for idle prattle. I have told you what I require you to do, now do what I have asked."

Not knowing what else to do, Orihime closed her slightly gaping mouth and was about to take a step back when she was halted by a strong arm wrapping around her shoulders. Without even having to look over, Orihime knew right away who it was and the only thing she could think to do was stare awkwardly at the floor as she waited for the cannons to start going off.

Just before the explosion, Shunsui, Jyuushiro and Maestro Otoribashi suddenly materialized next to Ichigo and the unemotional young man. The moment Orihime noticed the three new pairs of feet on the floor and she looked up to see who they were, her face flooded with relief.

If Shunsui knew that he was breaking up an argument that was about to get ugly, he didn't let on as he said breezily, "There you are Mr. Cifer! Maestro Otoribashi just informed my partner and I about the results of your audition and I must say we were quite ecstatic to hear it. Hearing that a cellist of your caliber and training was coming to work at our opera house…well, I thought it may be too good to be true. And yet, here you are."

"We have your contract drafted and waiting for you to sign in our office," Jyuushiro said mildly, "If you'll follow us, please."

Before anyone moved, the maestro said evenly, "First, however, allow me to introduce you to several important people here at the opera house. This is Viscount Ichigo Kurosaki. His family has recently become one of the opera house's most valued patrons. With their support, we will be able to perform Verdi's Otello this season.

"Standing next to him is one of our most promising vocal talents, Miss Orihime Inoue, and her equally talented sister, Rukia Kuchiki, is standing behind her. Then, we have Mr. Renji Abarai and Mr. Chad, who are both hard-working and efficient back-stage hands."

With each introduction, Maestro Otoribashi would gesture politely before he finally stepped slightly to his left in order to say officially, "And everyone, this is Mr. Ulquiorra Cifer, who has come here all the way from Spain. Since he was ten, Mr. Cifer has performed for not only Spanish royalty as a soloist and a chamber musician, but he has also taken several trips around Europe where he performed for some very influential audiences."

Shunsui added in a proud voice, "And we are delighted to have Mr. Cifer take over the position of principal cellist. Now, if you would please excuse us."

Before he allowed himself to be whisked away, Ulquiorra allowed his emotionless yet piercing gaze to linger on Orihime for a while longer as she tried her level best to meet his eyes. He seemed to be trying to dismiss and assess her at the same time, so Orihime wasn't sure if she should feel relieved, insulted, hurt or otherwise. As she continued to hold Ulquiorra's eyes, Orihime felt Ichigo's hand tighten around her shoulder, not enough to hurt, but enough to let her know that he was there and was not about to let her feel unprotected.

Finally, Ulquiorra let his eyelids fall over his green eyes and he turned to follow the three older men towards the opera house's main office. As they got further and further away, Ichigo kept his arm around Orihime as if he was preparing for Ulquiorra to turn around and attack her at any moment. On the one hand, Orihime was rather ashamed that Ichigo had had to step in and save her again…but on the other hand, she really, really, really liked the feeling of Ichigo holding her in his arms. Well, maybe he wasn't completely holding her in his arms, but it was close enough.

Thinking back to when Ichigo had held her as she cried, Orihime allowed herself the liberty to dream that maybe someday he would hold her not when she needed comfort or when she needed to feel safe, but when she needed to feel loved. She also allowed herself to hope that maybe if such a time ever came, Ichigo would hold her like that because he felt the same way. But, then again, such a dream might be too much to hope for, Orihime told herself, so I'll just savor this moment.

It has been said that a dream is a wish your heart makes and that if you keep on believing, your wish will come true. Eventually, that would be true for Orihime.

**Author's Note:**

All righty. I'm trying to work up the gumption and desire to complete this story, but it's been hard the past week. Don't freak out, I'm not planning on putting this story on hiatus or deleting it or anything, I'm just saying that real life has been rough (I can't think of one author here who hasn't gone through that) so I haven't always had the time or energy to sit down and write out the next chapter for my stories. I hope to get to the rest of my incomplete stuff very shortly, but I do have one or two one-shots that I'm working on as well and I'm also trying to gear up for the holiday season...anyway, you get the picture.

I don't think there are a lot of terms in here that need to be defined, but the piece Ulquiorra played for his audition is 'Meditation from Thais' by Massenet. It's an absolutely gorgeous piece of music and if you look up the version played my Yo Yo Ma, I think you will be absolutely blown away.

Now, there were some who said they would like to hear an example of the combination I had for 'Canticum Angelum' and I thought I was being so original in my thoughts and I come to find that there have been several pieces written for that combination of soprano, cello and organ. I'll list them right here so that you can find them on YouTube if you so desire:

-All Hallows Mass: Motet for mezzo-soprano, cello and organ by Frederik Magle

-Panis Angelicus by Franck (I recommend the Rost Andrea version in terms of singing since that's how I envision Orihime sounding, but it has a full choir and orchestra, so...yeah)

-Jules Massenet: Elegie for soprano, cello and piano

For Aizen's piece, once I heard the beauty of the harmonies in Panis Angelicus (as well as the singer) and the heart-rending melody in the Massenet for the cello, I thought that a combination of the two is what his piece would sound like. Call me crazy, but that's what I thought.

As always, if you have any questions, comments, suggestions, requests, complaints, issues or anything else in between, leave a comment or drop me a note and I will be sure to respond.

Thank you to all of you who have recently favorited or followed my story. In the next few chapters, I will compile a list to thank each and every one of you so that everyone can see.


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